To Tell the Truth
by Freckled Angel 11
Summary: May knows the truth, and both Peter and Tony have some explaining to do. Secretary Ross is also after Tony to reveal the truth of Spider-Man's identity. With things coming to the surface, can they protect Peter from harm before it's too late? T/P Father/Son relationship. Rating for language and future violence. (Ch. 1-11 are mostly character building; Action starts Ch. 12).
1. Chapter 1

This fic takes place between Spider-Man: Homecoming and Infinity War. It begins with Aunt May's discovery and goes from there.

If anyone feels inspired, I would love some cover art for this story.

 **All Characters belong to Marvel.**

 **A/N: New edits and tweaks were made to this chapter on 8/29/18. As I'm writing this story, I'm feeling the need to go back and clean up previous chapters before its all finished. ENJOY!**

Chapter 1: What the ?

Peter was so happy. He had the suit back from Mr. Stark, and he somehow felt _whole_ again. It was a relief. He was proud, too, because he knew that he had managed to regain Mr. Stark's trust. All was well in world. He reached up and removed his mask, thinking about how great it was to be Spider-Man.

"What the F***?" May exclaimed from behind him.

Peter froze. He was afraid to turn around. A thousand excuses were swirling through his brain, but none seemed sufficient enough to say out loud. This was his aunt, he would need to turn around and face the truth. He supposed she knew now anyway. After everything that she'd been through, she deserved Peter's honesty. He sucked in a breath and slowly turned around to face her.

What he saw truly scared him. He expected her to be angry, but she looked more scared…panicked even.

"What is this?" she questioned. "This can't be real. What are you wearing?!" Her arms moved quickly and she started pacing nervously.

May was firing questions too fast for Peter to answer. "May…" he tried to break into her rambling, but she just continued. Slowly, he took a step in her direction. His hands were up in a placating gesture, trying to show her that she needed to be calm. He wanted to explain.

"I heard you come home. I heard you call my name. I thought about answering, but I thought maybe it would be better to stay quiet. I wanted to see what you would do. All the secrets. Leaving the house at night. Detention. Trouble at school. I knew there had to be an explanation, Peter, but this is crazy! Why are you wearing that?" May asked once more. Her breathing came quickly. She put a hand to her chest and another to her head.

Peter was afraid that she might pass out, so he came forward and led her to the couch in the living room. She didn't find him. She was too shocked, and she allowed Peter to guide her into a sitting position. He brought her hands down to her lap and kept one of his hands there, trying to offer her reassurance.

"Aunt May…try to calm down. Take deep breaths. I'll tell you everythi…"

"TELL ME EVERYTHING?" She cut in, her voice holding more anger. "Is this what it takes to learn the truth? There wasn't an easier way for me to find out? It had to be like this?" She had started off yelling, but her voice fell to a broken whisper. "I thought you trusted me, Peter. I thought we could tell each other the truth." The tears started to fall down her cheeks, and it was enough to drop Peter's heart into his stomach.

Peter took a deep breath, holding in tears of his own. "I didn't ask for this, Aunt May. It happened so unexpectedly. I didn't know how to tell you, but yes…I am the Spider-Man."

May gave him a look and put her hands up towards his suit as if to say, _"Duh! Obviously!"_. But she remained quiet, and clearly wished for him to continue.

Peter stuttered nervously, "God, May..." he rubbed a hand nervously through his hair. "I know I should have said something. I thought about this so many times, but I could never think of the right thing to say. You've been through so much. _We've_ been through so much. I didn't know how to tell you that my body changed after being bit by a radioactive spider! It seemed crazy. I knew you would worry, and I hate to make you worry."

"A spider, Peter? Seriously? What…"

"…It was on that field trip to OsCorp about a year ago. That's why I didn't need my glasses anymore. My senses improved. I'm stronger, healthier. I heal quickly, too! I was trying to figure out if or how to talk to you, but then Uncle Ben…" Peter's voice cracked, and a tear finally slipped free, falling slowly down his cheek. He looked up into his aunt's eyes. They held each other's gaze for a moment before his aunt spoke.

"Ok…hold on. So, you've kept this to yourself all this time? A whole year? For what? To spare me the worry?" She huffed, "Peter, I will always worry about you! Hell, I've been even more worried about you! Do you really think that I didn't suspect something? I didn't push because I was afraid that I would push you away if I asked too many questions!" She sighed by adding, "Ben always told me to be patient and give you space. He believed that you held things in but would open up in your own time." She looked up at him, "If I hadn't seen you, would you have told me?"

Peter thought for a moment. "May, I... honestly… I-I don't know. I didn't think anyone should know. Ned found out a few months ago by accident. It's a huge secret to keep, and it hasn't been easy for him since he found out. Telling you… You knowing now… it scares me. It puts you at risk. I wanted to protect you, May. I can't lose you." He looked at his aunt, hoping she could understand. His breathing came faster, and he was trying his best to keep himself together.

"Ned knows?" She gave a small laugh. "I guess that explains why his mother mentioned him talking about you and Spider-Man knowing one another." May talked faster as she recalled the memory, "I ran into her at the grocery store, and she started talking about how excited Ned was to have a friend with a connection to the Avengers! I told myself that he was just exaggerating something to his mom. Or maybe you were trying to impress your friends with the Stark Internship…" May's eyes went wide, as if thinking of something. "Wait! The internship… Is there even an internship, or…"

Peter finished her thought, "Well..." He pointed to his suit, "This is the internship. Mr. Stark made this suit for me. He needed my help in Germany, and then he let me keep this." _Until he took it away_. But he decided to leave that part out at the moment.

Aunt May's face turned angry. "Stark? Of course he made this suit! He's enabling you… putting you in harm's way. I saw the footage of the Avengers fighting each other at the airport in Germany! It was on the news! You could've been seriously hurt! How could he take a kid there? Put you in that kind of danger?!"

"Stop! Aunt May..." Peter took a deep breath. "Mr. Stark isn't enabling me! I think he's trying to keep me safe." Peter took another breath and continued. "I've put a lot of thought into this, Aunt May. In the beginning, I was confused about Mr. Stark calling me in, too. I think he was in a desperate place. He wanted to try and salvage the Avengers, and maybe he thought a fresh face could help things turn in his favor. Win the fight, make them listen to reason, and save the team… or something like that. I don't think things worked out the way he wanted. He seemed so sad when it was all over, and I think he realized that maybe he brought me in too soon." Peter decided to back up a little. "Look, May, when he came here, he had footage from YouTube. It was of me stopping a car with my bare hands."

May gasped but allowed Peter to continue.

"I think they… or he… I don't know… they keep their eyes open for enhanced persons or something. Maybe to join the team or assess a threat…I don't know. But, he discovered my identity. He wanted to know why I use my abilities to help others. He just wanted to know more about me. He's continued to learn about me. He's helping me grow, May. I look up to him. He's used this suit to keep an eye on me. He makes sure I'm safe, and he gives me feedback. I thought he would call me in again to help, but he hasn't. I think he realized that I needed time to be a kid. But, I'm the one who puts Spider-Man first. I can't stop this. It's who I am. I see trouble, and I can't walk away, May, I CAN'T!" Peter breathed deeply, "Not again…"

"Again?" May prompted.

Peter cried, "I could've stopped him, May. Uncle Ben's killer… I SHOULD have stopped him! I had the ability, and I just let him get away. I didn't know… I couldn't know…" Peter hiccupped, "but he did it. He shot Uncle Ben! I'm so so sorry!" And this time Peter cried in earnest.

"Oh Peter!" May soothed. She pulled his head to her shoulder and hugged him close. She held him there for a while. It gave her a chance to process things and Peter a chance to calm down. "Peter…" May whispered, "Peter, this is a lot to take in. But if I understand you, you're saying that you started patrolling the neighborhood as Spider-Man because you wanted to stop others from being hurt? You didn't want anyone else to be hurt like your Uncle Ben?"

Peter looked at his aunt and nodded slowly.

She continued, "And Stark found out your identity. He made you an Avenger, but you're still patrolling the neighborhood? Like… training or something?"

Peter spoke again. This time he told her all about what happened with the weapons and the Vulture. He explained how Iron Man saved his life. He told her about losing the suit, but still fighting the Vulture. He told her about going to the compound and the invitation to join. Finally, he told her about turning them down.

"Aunt May, I think Mr. Stark is trying to help me make good decisions as Spider-Man. He finally gave me the opportunity to be an official Avenger, but I realized that he was right to have me take things a little slower. I realized that I still want some time to be a high school student, but I also _need_ to continue as Spider-Man. As long as people need me, Aunt May, I want to be there for them." Peter smiled, "I'm the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."

May gave a short laugh. "Ok. Ok, Spider-Man. I think I understand. I'm proud of you, Peter, truly."

Peter gave his aunt a surprised look.

"Let me finish," She said. "I'm proud of you for turning down the Avengers for the time being. I'm proud of you for wanting to help people." She cleared her throat. "However, I am not proud of you for thinking that you had to keep this from me. We are in this together… you and me. You need to be honest with me no matter what. Yes, I will worry about you, but I love you, Peter. Nothing will change that." She pointed to his suit, "Not even red and blue spandex." She smiled, and Peter laughed at that.

"It makes the most sense. Easy to move in and everything."

Peter was relieved. Could it really be that easy? He doubted it…

"Oh…and you're grounded." May said.

Peter's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open.

Before he could protest, May continued, "You deserve at least that much! You lied to me for a year, so as punishment, you will give me that suit for TWO WEEKS! Over those weeks, we are going to keep talking about this. You are going to continue to fill in some blanks for me. I want to understand your abilities. I want to know everything about Spider-Man."

Peter wanted to protest, "But May…"

"No!" She cut him off. "I heard what you said, Peter. I know this is who you are, and I will make you a deal. If you think there is any real danger in those 2 weeks, I will let you take it back temporarily. But you _HAVE_ to talk to me! We have to figure out some ground rules here. It's like you said… you need time to be a high school kid. I'm the one in charge of that high school kid, Spider-Man or not. We need time to decide what this is going to look like for our family. We need to figure out how to make this work."

Peter thought for a moment. "Thank you, Aunt May. I know you're looking out for me… for us. I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought I was protecting you. But…" Peter took yet another steadying breath, "you must understand that I may not be able to tell you everything! Some things may be dangerous. I can't lose you! I can't risk your safety!"

May put her hands onto Peter's shoulders, trying to steady him. Belatedly, she realized just how strong and firm those shoulders were. _"How did I miss this?_ " She thought to herself.

"Peter, we will have 2 weeks to talk this all out. For now, I want you to take the red and blue spandex off and hand it over. Put on some regular clothes, please! I need time to process this without looking at you in… _that!_ " Again, she pointed at the suit with her hands.

Peter gave a small chuckle and nodded his head in agreement. It was going to be a long 2 weeks, but he supposed that he owed his aunt that much. He got up off the couch and started towards his room.

"Oh! And one more thing!" May called from her spot on the couch.

Peter turned to look at her. He saw a sly smile sneak its way onto her face before she said, "If you think I'm not giving that Tony Stark a piece of my mind, you're wrong! Iron Man or not, I will punch him right in the face!"

Peter swallowed hard. He didn't doubt his aunt for a second. He thought about texting Mr. Stark a warning, but instead he nodded to his aunt before finishing the short journey to his room. He decided maybe Tony deserved a little punishment from his aunt as much he did.

It was typical of Peter... He worried about and May and even Tony. It was just too bad he never spent enough time worrying about himself. In the future, that could prove to be his greatest mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Characters still belong to Marvel.**

Chapter 2: Surprised the Heck Out of Us

Upstate, Tony was sitting on the couch sipping a whiskey and rubbing his forehead. He had just finished a phone call with Secretary Ross. He had been dodging the man long enough, and he couldn't get away with putting him on hold again. The phone call had not gone well. Ross had seen the footage of the fight in Germany, and he was more than a little interested in the identity of the man who was helping Tony by webbing up the Capsicle and his pals. Ross had been after him for awhile now, and the Spider-Man's recent involvement with his plane only made Ross more persistent.

Tony recalled the conversation in detail:

 _"You really expect me to believe that you have no knowledge of his true identity?" exclaimed Ross._

 _"The mask covers his face and he shoots webbing. I'm not sure I want to know what the guy looks like under the mask. He could have those creepy spider eyes! I prefer to remain in the dark. Plus, Pepper hates spiders! Since we're engaged now, I feel like I should try to keep my distance." Tony lied. Pepper wasn't even freaked out by spiders. Happy was more arachnophobic than Pepper._

 _"Cut the crap, Stark! I don't care about what he looks like! I want a name. He needs to be held accountable just like the rest of you. That plane crash with Toomes could have hurt innocent people. I want a name, so that he can be made to sign the Accords."_

 _Tony clenched his jaw and sucked in a breath before answering, "Spider-Man makes his own decisions. He sees somebody doing wrong, and he just swings into action. I really didn't care to take the time to have a heart-to-heart with the Webhead! I have better things to do. At the present, I have a wedding to plan. My fiancé has more influence than you do. She scares me more."_

 _Ross growled on the other end of the line, "You expect me to believe that a man like you wouldn't get the facts on the Spider-Man?! I don't believe you Stark. You would use your extensive resources to get that information. You're too arrogant to let yourself stay in the dark."_

 _Tony heard enough. "Think what you'd like. I don't have time to argue with you about wall-crawlers. My fiancé is expecting me to pick a date for the wedding, so I'm going to have to call you back never. Bye!"_

 _"Stark! Don't even think about hanging up on…"_

It was too late. FRIDAY ended the call before letting him know that Pepper would arrive in about 5 minutes.

As a matter of fact, Pepper was just arriving.

She walked into the room ready to get to business, "Tony, I was just talking to Happy. He feels that it will be important for us to set a decoy date to throw off the…" She stopped talking when she noticed the whiskey in one hand and his head leaning on the other. "Tony? I know that look. Is it Ross again?" Pepper was proud of Tony for trying to be responsible as Iron Man by signing the Accords. He had changed so much since his time in Afghanistan. He wanted so badly to be a better man, but his journey was certainly not an easy one. He couldn't do it alone, and that was why their "break" didn't last long. He needed her, and she was committed to being there for him no matter what. If only Ross was more trustworthy.

"You're so smart." Tony replied. Standing up and walking towards her with an admiring look in his eyes. "You know me so well. Honestly, it's like we're already married. Is eloping still out of the question? I have connections. We could be official by this time tomorrow."

"Tony…" Pepper gave him a look that clearly said, _"You're avoiding my question."_

He sighed, "Yes. I talked to the puppet-master. He wants Spider-Man dangling from his strings, and he believes that I am keeping his true identity a secret. Which I am of course." He took a long swig and downed the rest of the whiskey. "I think I'm glad the kid made the choice that he did. He wants time to 'stay on the ground' and be a kid. If he agreed, he wouldn't have any other choice but to sign. Then the whole world would have figured out that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The kid's aunt doesn't even know yet." (Or so he thought).

Pepper smiled as she walked up to Tony and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, you do have a habit of jumping into things and figuring out details later. It's a good thing the kid has a little more maturity than you."

He gave her look and rolled his eyes, but then he shrugged his shoulders before conceding, "Yeah… he's a really smart kid. I shouldn't have brought him into this now. The bad timing is my fault." He looked thoughtful before continuing, "He's amazing though, right? I mean, the kid was able to manage Toomes and the plane by himself. He didn't even have the suit I made him… my fault, I know!" He said this when he saw Pepper give him a look.

"He would be an asset to the team, Pep. But, he's earned the right to make his own decisions from this point forward. I won't put him on Ross' radar any more than he already is."

Pepper was quiet a moment and then pulled Tony in for a hug. Pulling away and looking in his eyes, she spoke softly, "You care about him, Tony. If you want to protect him, you need to warn him that Ross is looking for him. You should call him. You. Not Happy." She insisted.

"You're probably right. I'll reach out to him tomorr…" He was cut off by FRIDAY.

"Sir," the AI interrupted. "I beg your pardon sir, but there is a disturbance at the security gate. It appears that May Parker is here with Peter. She insists on speaking with you immediately."

Pepper lifted her eyebrows at Tony, "I think she knows."

Tony let go of Pepper and took a step towards the door. "Yeah… FRIDAY, notify security that I'm on my way and let them know that they should escort them to Conference Room 1. We're going to need our privacy." He looked at Pepper. "Any chance you'll come with me?"

She smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh no! I think this is something that you will need to face on your own." She leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek. "One of these days, we'll actually get a chance to talk about wedding plans."

Tony smiled and gave her an apologetic look. "I don't deserve you," he said.

"Maybe not," she replied playfully, "but I choose to love you anyway."

He captured her lips with his own, "I love your more, Ms. Potts."

With one final look, he turned and made his way to the conference room. He only hoped that Aunt Hottie didn't kill him before he even got the chance to pick a wedding date.


	3. Chapter 3

**Marvel still owns them all.**

Chapter 3: Road Trip

(Before ending up at the compound upstate)

"May knows you're Spider-Man?!" Ned exclaimed.

"Dude, quiet down!" Peter shushed his friend. It was Friday, and Peter just had this short time at school to help him regain some sense of normalcy before returning home to face whatever inquiry May would send his way over the weekend.

"It wasn't so different from how you found out. She caught me in the suit while I was in my room." Peter sighed, "It was awful, dude. She was so hurt."

"Wait, wait, wait…the suit? Like THE suit? I thought Mr. Stark took that away," Ned questioned.

Peter explained that Happy had taken him upstate earlier in the week, and he even told his friend about being offered an official place with the Avengers. "It was all a test, though _(or so he thought)._ I guess I passed because I found the suit left for me in my room. I should have made sure that May wasn't home, but I was just so happy to see it again. I just had to put it on…that's when May saw me."

Ned shook his head in disbelief. "Now we know why Superman changed in a phone booth. You'll have to be more careful about who sees you change, dude!"

"Ugh! That's creepy, Ned! Ideally, no one would see me." The two friends continued through their day, and Ned offered Peter encouragement whenever he could.

Before they parted ways at the end of the school day, Ned said, "I don't think you need to worry, Peter. Your aunt's cool, and she loves you. It's probably better that she knows. Now you guys can like, you know, be closer than ever."

Peter gave a reluctant nod, "I hope you're right, Ned. She's had some time to reconsider." He laughed and jokingly added, "If she kicks me out, I may just need to bunk with you."

Ned nodded, smiled, and spoke with a thoughtful voice, "Badass…it would be that much easier to be the guy in the chair!"

"Whatever, dude!" Peter responded while shaking his head slightly as his friend. "I'll see you Monday. Aunt May is restricting my phone privileges as well."

Ned offered a nod, "Who knew being a teenage superhero would be like this. Good luck, Peter!"

"Thanks…later!" he yelled before making his way home.

The whole way home, Peter worried about what May might ask. One moment he felt relieved about telling his aunt the truth, but the next moment he felt dread. It could be dangerous for her to know too much. He sighed and thought, _"Peter, you have a lot to figure out in the next couple of weeks."_

* * *

The last thing Peter expected was for his aunt to be waiting for him outside.

She quirked an eyebrow at him as he walked up to their apartment building. "I'm surprised to see you using the sidewalk. I half expected to see you swinging down the street with your spidey-webs."

"AUNT MAY!" Peter exclaimed in a harsh whisper. He moved closer to her and said, "Please, you need to be careful, you never know who could hear you! I need you to be more careful. I told you, I can't let anything happen to you!"

May gave him a look before scanning the street. "Peter, we are alone. This is Queens. People keep to themselves and care little about what is said on the street anyway."

Peter shook his head. "There are two people about to come around the corner. One is wearing headphones, but the other is keeping alert." Not long after he finished, two young men came around the corner. One was wearing headphones and bobbing his head to his music, but the other young man seemed to be keeping a close eye (and probably a close ear) on their surroundings.

May's mouth dropped open, "How did you…"

"…Heightened senses." Peter interrupted.

May sighed, "Right, I still have so much to learn about my own kid. Come on…" she walked forward and grabbed his arm on her way, leading him towards her car. "…We're going to take a road trip."

Something in Peter panicked. "What?! Wait…you're not kicking me out, are you? I told you I was sorry, May." _Maybe he would be bunking with Ned after all._

She gave him an exasperated look, "You're not getting rid of me that easily, young man. Just…get in the car. We'll talk more on the way."

"On the way, where?" Peter insisted.

"Peter, just get in the car…Please!" May gave him a look that was clearly meant for him to recognize that she was still the one in charge.

Once in the car, Peter took a closer look at his aunt. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep, and he was pretty sure that she had called out of work.

They drove in silence for some time before Peter realized in which direction they were headed. "Oh no! May…why are we driving upstate?! Please tell me we aren't…"

"…Oh, we are!" May cut in. "We are both going to have a talk with that Tony Stark. He made himself a part of our lives, so we need to settle some things with him once and for all. Like… I am your legal guardian, and he has no right to endanger you without talking to me first!" Her voice getting louder with each word she spoke.

Peter put his head in his hands and growled in frustration. _"Mr. Stark will never let me hear the end of this."_

"Do you even know where you are going? They don't exactly post directions to the Avengers Compound on Google Maps, May."

"I know!" May defended before clearing her throat and admitting, "I already looked."

"Then what are we doing? Are you planning to just drive all around until something looks promising?" Peter squealed.

"Don't take that tone with me young man!" Man looked over at him in the passenger seat. She had definitely mastered the "mom look" with him over the years. "I do have some sense, you know. You already told me you were there once. I expect you to make sure we are going the right way."

Peter gave her a look and asked, "What makes you think I'll remember?"

"Hah! Come on, Peter! What do you take me for, a fool? You're too smart, and you have an incredible sense of direction. Add in those heightened senses and I have no doubt that you can find your way back."

She gave him an expectant look before he answered, "Fine. Keep going. We have about another 25 miles before our exit."

May smiled triumphantly. "Perfect. Plenty of time for you to answer some questions along the way."

"Great." Peter replied without any real enthusiasm.

"You don't like spit venom or anything, do you?" May asked.

Peter put his head back on the seat and looked up towards the roof of the car. He closed his eyes and sighed while shaking his head, "Who would have thought that you and Ned would ask the same kind of questions."

May raised her eyebrows, and Peter realized she was still waiting for an answer.

"NO!" he said (maybe a little too loudly). He lowered his voice to a normal level before continuing, "And before you ask, I do NOT lay eggs, either!"

May laughed out loud at that, "Well, thank God! I won't have to worry about anything hatching in our apartment."

Peter looked at her in disbelief, but then saw the playful smile on her face. "You're kidding…"

"Of course! That was something I didn't even think about!" She laughed again before adding. "But that is good to know. A small comfort."

"Aw, come on…" Peter whined.

May laughed some more. The ride continued with more questions about Peter's abilities and the changes to his body. Peter also clarified on exactly what Ned knew since his aunt did not want his friends to know more than her. Before long, they took their exit and Peter was helping his aunt to navigate the back roads that would lead to the compound.

"You know…I should probably call Mr. Stark and let him know we're coming. They may not even let us in. Security is pretty tight." Peter explained.

"No!" May insisted. "They will let us in. I do not want to give that Stark a chance to run away. He is going to answer to me once and for all."

"I don't know. What if he isn't even there?"

"I packed up some things and put them in the trunk before you got home. We'll wait for him there all weekend if we have to. Surely they will let Spider-Man into the Avengers Compound." May said with complete determination.

"What? Bags? May…Mr. Stark and his head of security, Happy, are some of the only people who know who I am. This may not work out in the way you want. We cannot go up to the gate and announce that Spider-Man and his aunt want an audience with Iron Man!"

May huffed, "Well, I guess I'm glad that you are being careful with your secret, but I _will_ get us into that building!"

Peter was quiet for the rest of the trip except to finish giving his aunt directions. He really didn't doubt her ability to get them inside.

 _"Mr. Stark is really never ever going to let me hear the end of this!"_ Peter slumped down in his seat, resigned to the fate the lay ahead of him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yep…Marvel still owns them! Dang it!**

Chapter 4: Some Explaining to Do

(Back at the compound)

Peter was sure that security was going to send them away. However, it wasn't long before one of the guards was on the phone. The man's demeanor changed in a way that let him know that they were about to be granted access. Sure enough, he came back to the car with directions for them to drive to the front entrance and meet Happy inside, where he would be taking them to a conference room.

May had the most triumphant look on her face. Peter continued to watch her face closely as they approached the massive structure of the compound. Her eyes were wide and filled with wonder. "Will you look at that?" She said as a plane took off. It reminded Peter of his first trip to the building, especially when she added, "You don't see that every day."

Another man met them out front, offering (more like insisting) to park the car. Peter and May exited the car. Peter briefly thought about the bags in the trunk, but he decided not to bring that up. Instead, he walked with May to the front where Happy was waiting for them. He didn't look particularly thrilled, and Peter refused to look the man in the eyes for fear of seeing disappointment. Surely Peter had broken some unspoken rule by guiding his aunt to the compound.

"So, you're Happy?" May asked. "That Tony better being meeting us. I have things to say to him, and he cannot hide from me forever!"

"I was asked to take you to the conference room, Mrs. Parker," Happy explained. "After that, Tony is on his own."

May gave him a skeptical look, but she followed him to the room. Peter followed with his head down, and he fought the urge to the climb the wall and hide in the ceiling vents.

It didn't look like a typical conference room. There were all different forms of Stark tech placed around the room, and the furniture looked more like what one would expect to see in a nice living room. Peter noticed his aunt's surprise upon walking into the space, but she quickly hid it away. She wouldn't want to give Mr. Stark any sign of being impressed.

"Mr. Stark is finishing a meeting with Ms. Potts, but he will be joining you momentarily." Happy informed them. "If you need anything in the meantime, FRIDAY will help you."

"How will it help that today is Friday?" May asked, genuinely confused.

Before anyone could explain, the AI answered for herself in her smooth Scottish accent, "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Parker. I am Mr. Stark's personal AI, called FRIDAY. I am available in every room. I am here to aid Mr. Stark's welcome guests."

May's mouth was agape, but she recovered quickly, "Of course. Thank you, FRIDAY." She sat on a chair with a table in front and crossed her arms stubbornly. "All I want right now is to give that Tony Stark a piece of my mind!"

For the first time, Peter looked over towards Happy. To his surprise, the man looked somewhat amused by May's behavior. He gave a nod to May before shifting his attention to Peter. When their eyes met, Happy said, "Good luck, kid." Then he was out the door.

"FRIDAY!" May said more loudly than she needed to. It was like listening to someone who spoke too loud on their phone. "How long are we going to be waiting for Iron Man to show his face?"

"Mr. Stark is currently getting off the elevator and will be joining you shortly. However, he will not be wearing his Iron Man gear. Will you be needing him to suit up, Mrs. Parker?" FRIDAY inquired.

"That might be safer." Peter muttered under his breath.

"NO!" May insisted, rising to a standing position and walking towards the door into the room. "Thank you, FRIDAY."

It was all too much. Peter sat down and put his head in his hands. He wasn't sure he would survive this meeting.

In the next moment, things happened rather quickly. If it wasn't for Peter's spider-sense, he may not have been able to register all that happened. First, the door to the room opened. Mr. Stark entered the room, seeing Peter first. May had been waiting for him by the door. Before he could fully turn to acknowledge her, May delivered a solid right hook to his face. Peter was up on his feet in flash.

"May, stop!" he yelled. He quickly placed himself between the two before she could take another swing.

To Tony's credit, he took it in stride. He had actually somewhat expected the hit. He just didn't expect May to deliver it with such force.

"Small contusion detected. Will you be needing assistance, Mr. Stark?" FRIDAY asked.

"That will be unnecessary, FRIDAY. Thank you." Tony replied to his AI.

May looked up at the sound of the AI's voice before turning her attention back to Tony. Peter came to stand beside his aunt and wrapped her into somewhat of a hug, both to calm her and keep her in place.

Tony rubbed at his cheek before looking at his visitors as if nothing happened.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Gosh, May…it's nice to see you again. Impressive right hook by the way. Very effective. I'm guessing Pete's filled you in on a few things since you are here." He walked towards the table and rubbed at his cheek some more. "With skills like that perhaps Aunt May should be an Avenger, huh Pete?" Tony gave Peter a look that indicated he was looking for him to say something in explanation.

May beat him to it. Before Peter could open his mouth, May was throwing her words at Tony. "About that! What is the matter with you?! How could you endanger him like this? How could you keep this from me? I am his guardian. I am responsible for him. You had NO RIGHT to involve him without talking to me and telling me what was going on! You arrogant, self-interested SON-OF-A-BI…."

"Aunt May, please!" Peter cut her off. He spun her around to look at him. "Enough! Please. I tried to explain to you. Just let me explain…to…Mr. Stark. Um, Mr. Stark…"

Peter began to stutter nervously. He looked to Tony, who kept an appearance of being completely unfazed. "Please, Pete…do explain something. I'd hate to, you know, say something that will cause your aunt to take another shot at my face."

May was breathing deeply and glaring at Tony. If looks could kill, his days as Iron Man would be over.

Peter took a breath and gave Tony the briefest and quickest explanation he could. His words tumbled out quickly. If Tony weren't so used to spending time with the kid already, he may not have been able to catch the words as they spilled out.

"Mr. Stark. I am so sorry. I promised her answers. She insisted on coming here. She practically kidnapped me…ok that's an exaggeration. I'm sorry, May. Ton…ugh…Mr. Stark, Aunt May discovered me in my suit, she knows the truth. I've been explaining things to her. She deserves the truth now, Mr. Stark. I tried to explain your help, but she…you know…she blames…errr she thinks, I mean…"

"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GOT YOURSELF INVOLVED IN MY KID'S LIFE. AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE F#(% MY KID FEELS THE NEED TO PUT HIMSELF IN HARMS WAY USING A STARK-BUILT SUIT!" May screamed. She was so upset that she was shaking.

Tony just blinked at her, and he now looked mildly fazed.

"I think we should all sit down. May, Peter…please sit. Would you like something to drink? I think I need something to drink." With that, Tony walked over to a cabinet and took out some scotch.

"You know what, Stark." May said, "I would like a drink. Fill her up, "She said pointing to the glass in Tony's hand.

Tony nodded, filling a glass for each of them. "Water, kid?" Tony asked.

"No…uh…thanks." Peter mumbled out. He and Aunt May were sitting now.

Tony walked over, handed May her glass while she glared daggers with her eyes. However, the rest of her body language showed that she was just plain exhausted. Peter and May were quiet, and Tony realized that he would need to break the silence.

"Let me make sure that I understand." He looked at May. "Pete told you that he is Spider-Man. He told you why I really came to your house the first time, and he told you about becoming connected to the Avengers?"

May only nodded. She really was exhausted. She would remain calm so long as she was getting an explanation.

Peter cut in, "I explained that you needed help in Germany. Of course, she saw the footage that was reported on the news. She knows all about what Spider-Man has done, and she is…" Peter cleared his throat, "less than thrilled that I was the one doing those things.

"You could have died!" May's voice was small and came out as a choked whisper. She took a swig of the scotch before continuing with a little more strength in her voice. Her next words were directed towards Tony. "You knew he was putting himself in harm's way, and you didn't even have the decency to tell me! He's a kid! Don't you of all people know the science behind the risks that boys his age are willing to take? He needed someone to reason with him! Help him make good choices…stay safe! And _YOU_ encouraged him to take those risks. He is all I have left. I want to know what makes you think that you have _THE RIGHT_ to make that decision?"

"Aunt May..," Peter started, only to be cut off by Tony.

"No, kid. This one's on me." He took a swig of his own scotch before pulling his chair closer to May and continuing. "I'm not…" He sighed. He hated when he had to be so serious. "I don't always make the best decisions." He cleared his throat. "I've been known to only think of myself at times…not fully thinking through how things will impact others." He was thoughtful for a moment. "Which is why I probably decided to sign the Accords. I need to be accountable for the decisions I make…because I'm a flawed individual who makes flawed decisions. Right now, I'm accountable to you, May"

Tony suddenly stood up and paced a little. He looked like he was battling his own thoughts.

Peter tried again, "Mr. Stark, I can…"

"Adults are still talking, kid." Tony stopped him, and Peter snapped his mouth shut. "I owe you an apology, May. I know that. The thing is…that kid right there" Tony nodded his head towards Peter, "He impressed me. God, he was so earnest that first day I met him. I could tell his heart was in the right place. He hadn't told a soul what had happened to him. He didn't tell ONE PERSON about what he was able to do." Tony smiled, "You may recall that I announced my superhero status to the world."

May raised her eyebrows and laughed without any real humor, "Who could forget? I am Iron Man!" She mimicked.

"Yeah…" Tony agreed. "So, you can imagine my surprise when I find a kid with more power than me, and he keeps it to himself so that he can help people."

Peter listened closely, not sure if he was really hearing this. _"Is Mr. Stark saying that I impressed him?"_

May was quiet and looked thoughtful, she ignored that Iron Man found her kid to be more powerful. "Why leave me out?" She finally asked. "Why not clue me in?"

"He asked me not to tell you. He insisted on protecting you." Tony winced a little. "I didn't protect my mom. I failed. Who was I to tell this kid how he should protect you? I thought maybe he was right about waiting to tell you. I told the world about my identity, and the people closest to me have been at risk ever since." He looked May right in the eye. It was so intense…so sincere…that she had to look away.

She glanced to Peter. She saw that he was looking at Tony. She couldn't quite place the emotion on Peter's face as he looked at Stark. Was it respect? May shook her head. "Damn it!" She exclaimed.

"I have to learn to live with this, don't I? I have to learn to be ok with all of it? Peter as Spider-Man? Working with Avengers?" She trailed off.

Tony was quiet, and Peter decided it was finally his turn to speak for himself.

"Listen…both of you! I didn't ask to be bitten by the spider! I couldn't control what happened. So much of what has happened in my life was outside of my control!" He looked at the two adults. They looked thoughtful, and he realized that they were giving him the space to continue.

"I couldn't control what happened to my parents! I couldn't control gaining these abilities! So now, it's about finding what I can control and learning how these strengths help me take control of my life. I lost Uncle Ben, and I realized that I could fight back… should fight back. I can help save people from experiencing losses like the ones I have experienced! No one gets to make that decision, but me! If I didn't really want to help Mr. Stark when he came to me, I wouldn't have helped him. I thought Cap was helping a criminal and making bad choices. I decided to help! Me! I made that choice."

He looked at them again to be sure they were still listening. May began to cut in and pointed at Tony, "But the suit…"

"That suit is amazing, Aunt May. It has serious upgrades. Upgrades that keep me safe. Remember what I told you about him saving me?" He continued without giving her time to answer, "He put everything in that suit. When I was in trouble, he was alerted and helped me. That suit helps me be a better Spider-Man, but it doesn't make me Spider-Man. I am Spider-Man with or without that suit."

May looked at Tony. Was it just her or did the man look proud?

"I think I helped him learn that," Tony said.

"Toomes dropped a building on me, and I lifted it off by myself without the fancy suit," Peter said. All at once, he realized what he just admitted, and his eyes went wide.

"What?!" Both adults exclaimed at once.

"Never mind. I'm fine. Clearly." Peter spoke quickly. "What I'm trying to say is that I am really strong. I can do this. I can be Spider-Man. You guys don't need to worry so much. "

"Of course, I do," May said.

"I'm gonna worry, kid." Tony said at the same time.

May and Tony looked at one another. An understanding passing between the two of them.

May finished her glass of scotch and set it down. "Listen, both of you." She looked at Tony, "You are Iron Man." She turned to Peter, "You are Spider-Man." Then she continued, "I know both of you…I know where you live and sleep. If you _EVER_ lie to me again, no super-powers will be able to protect you from my wrath. Is that clear, Iron Man?"

Tony nodded (and Peter noticed he gulped).

"Is that clear, Spider-Man?" She was looking at Peter now.

"Aunt May, I promise to tell you things that you _need_ to know. I won't intentionally lie to you, but you need to understand me when I say that I will not tell you anything that will put you in harms way. Deal?" He asked.

"For now." May agreed.

"So, this is settled?" Peter asked. "I'm not sure I can take any more of this. There is no sense wasting time on things that are already done and can't be changed."

"I agree with the kid!" Tony jumped in. "We need to focus on what happens next."

He took a breath and walked back over to the scotch to refill his glass. "I'm actually glad that you're here…both of you. Since the spider is out of the bag, we all have some things to discuss."

He took a drink and looked at May and Peter. "I'm afraid there is more to talk about."

"Oh, God." May said. "I think I'll take a refill before you continue."

Peter sighed and slumped down in his chair. There was no escaping this. His aunt knew the truth, and Tony was clearly ready to bring her in on whatever was happening next. _"Stupid spider,"_ Peter thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Still don't own them. I'm just borrowing them from Marvel for a little while.**

 **A/N: Thank you all for your interest in this story! The reviews and follows are really encouraging. This idea has been floating in my head for a long time now, and I finally decided that I needed to write it down.**

Chapter 5: About Ross

Now that Tony and May had refilled their glasses, Tony figured it was time to talk about Ross.

Peter cut in before Tony could begin, "Um, Mr. Stark…are you sure this is something Aunt May needs to hear?" He didn't miss the glare she sent his way at that question. "It's just…I don't want her to get involved in anything that will put her in harm's way. I want to be honest with her, but…I can't have her knowing things that are dangerous." He looked back and forth between the adults; his eyes were pleading with them to understand.

"Peter Benjamin Parker," May scolded. "Like it or not, I know you're Spider-Man. I appreciate what you are trying to do, but it is not your job to take care of me. I was the one who promised to look after you!" She blinked back tears, "I want you to worry a little less about me, and more about yourself. You need to let me help you figure this out. You don't need to take on this responsibility alone…not as long as I'm around."

Peter sighed before looking towards Tony. The Iron Man looked uncomfortable, and he was clearly over the mushy emotions. He wanted to get down to business, and he began talking as soon as Peter gave him the slightest nod.

"Right…so we're good now? Love fest has concluded?" May and Peter rolled their eyes, and Tony continued, "Ross knows about Spider-Man's existence, and he is dying to know the man behind the mask." He got straight to the point, and he didn't fail to notice how the other two people in the room went completely still as he shared the news.

"It's my fault," Tony continued. "Ross saw Spider-Man's involvement in Germany with Cap, and he knows that Spider-Man helped to stop Toomes from robbing my plane. He feels that Spider-Man is becoming too much of a danger to the public. He wants his identity so that he will sign the Accords."

"Ross? As in Secretary Ross? In charge of the Sokovia Accords? Is that who we're talking about here?" May sucked in a breath and looked straight at Tony, "I should you hit you again. You're right, this is all your faul…"

"…No!" Peter interrupted. "I don't think it's all his fault. I was becoming more active as Spider-Man even without Mr. Stark's suit. Heck, I brought down the plane without the suit, remember?"

Both adults looked thoughtful. How could they forget? He could have been killed!

"Ross was bound to want more information on Spider-Man sooner or later. It may be sooner than I would like, but at least I don't need to figure this out alone. Right, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked.

Tony looked dubiously at Peter. Was this kid serious? How was it that Tony had gained so much trust from the kid? One thing was for sure, he was not going to let Ross get anywhere near him. Peter was just too innocent. He didn't need the crap that Ross would bring down on him.

"Yeah, kid," Tony confirmed. "You're not alone. We…" He pointed between the three of them, "…will figure this out."

"What if Peter signs?" May asked. "Would that be so bad?" May was still new to all of this, and she wanted to understand the problem.

"Ross is one annoying son-of-a-bitch," Tony explained. "If Peter signed the accords, he would need to sign as Peter Parker. The whole world would learn that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. That means that Pete's life would change forever. He would probably need to leave school and move here in order to be safe, and…"

Peter cut in, "It could put you at risk, Aunt May. Your life would be changed, too. I'm not ready for people to start chasing after us all the time. I turned down Mr. Stark's offer to be an Avenger because I realized that I still need some time to be a kid, and that's what you need from me, Aunt May."

"Ok….so, if Ross is looking for Spider-Man, then Peter just stays off the streets and focuses on school from here on out!" May offered hopefully. Even as she said it, she knew that neither of the men in the room would agree, especially Peter.

Peter's mouth dropped open, and he was ready to protest. However, it was Iron Man who answered for him. "From experience, May, I learned that you can't take the Spider out of the kid. He can't help himself, can you, Pete?"

Peter shook his head and responded, "This is who I am. I _cannot_ ignore a problem when I can do something to fix it. I will never leave someone to be taken advantage of! I can't!"

"Right. Just as I expected! So, we need to find a way to balance the life of Peter Parker with the adventures of Spider-Man. Oh! And…we have to try to keep those two things as separate as possible in order to keep Ross from connecting the dots." Tony explained.

May lifted her glass and emptied the contents before standing up. She placed her hands on her hips and began pacing back and forth. "It's probably too late, right? I brought Peter here to the compound, and he's been here before. Surely Ross already keeps a close eye on this place? He'll want to know who this kid is that is welcome at the Avengers facility!" May's eyes were wide and frantic. She looked like she could pass out.

"Woah, woah…May, please sit back down." It was Peter's turn to stand up, and he ushered his aunt back into her seat before placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Peter looked at Tony, "Is that true, Mr. Stark? Do you think Ross knows that I'm here?"

Tony didn't miss the concerned look on Peter's face, but the kid did a good job of hiding away any panic. Peter was clearly trying to be strong for his aunt.

Tony offered them a cheeky grin and held out his hands, "Who are you talking to?"

They both looked back at him with confused expressions.

Tony huffed before continuing, "I'm Tony Stark, and I designed this place. Do you really think I would give Ross access to a live feed of this building?"

Peter gave Tony an impressed and knowing smile, but May still looked confused. Tony continued, "Ross thinks that he knows what is happening here; however, that man only sees what FRIDAY and I will allow him to see. There is a delay on his feed…one that he knows nothing about. If someone comes to the compound that Ross doesn't need to know about, their arrival is erased before he can ever see it. Those security guards work for me, not Ross. Therefore, he only knows that Pepper arrived this evening to discuss our wedding. He has no idea you're even here!"

Tony was clearly proud of himself, and May visibly relaxed. "Thank God," she said.

"You can call me Tony," he answered back.

May looked like she was about to throw another comment at that, but Peter spoke first. "That's amazing, Mr. Stark. I'd hate for him to know anything about Aunt May."

"Peter!" his aunt scolded. "Will you strop worrying about me! It's not me that he's curious about." She took a breath, "Ok…what happens if Peter doesn't sign and Ross finds out? Just how worried do I need to be about this guy?"

Peter gave Tony a look that said, _"Please don't make her worry!"_ However, Tony was prepared to let them both know just who they were dealing with.

"There's a prison that was designed to contain enhanced individuals. Ross took some of the wayward Avenger's there after the incident in Germany. I was there before Cap helped them escape. It's an awful place, and I'm afraid, with Peter's abilities, that Ross could take him there," Tony confessed.

Peter went pale. He didn't want to be locked up or trapped in some prison.

"But he's just a kid!" May exclaimed. "Surely he wouldn't condemn a kid to that fate!" She looked at Tony hopefully.

"Ross doesn't have an ounce of compassion. If he doesn't get his way, I feel that he could take drastic measures." Tony took a deep breath.

"So why in the hell did you sign the Accords? Why work with this man?" May questioned.

"Initially, I felt I needed to be held responsible for what happened in Sokovia. That was on me." Tony's face was full of regret. "But after I signed the Accords, I realized just how much of a jackass Ross truly is. It's like he thinks those of us who signed are at his beck and call…his puppets. Rhodes and I are working with some of our contacts. We want to see the Accords amended. Things need to change, and Ross needs to go. Hell, we may even get the others to sign if there are changes made. I just think it will take some time."

The room was quiet as they all pondered the information.

Peter stepped away from his aunt and took a step towards Tony. He turned so that he was standing in a position that both of the adults could see his face. This was his life, damn it, and he was going to have a say about it.

"Here's what I think needs to happen. I've thought about this a lot…it is my life, after all. As I said before, I would like to stay on the ground and finish high school. However, I need to be free to be Spider-Man as well. I propose that May and I continue our lives In Queens. I go to school as usual during the day, and I am given the opportunity to improve my skills as Spider-Man in the evening."

The adults looked skeptical, but Peter continued before they could interrupt.

"Look…what if I agree to stick to the small stuff? You know…things that wouldn't make it to Ross' radar? If I see anything big, I contact Mr. Stark." Peter explained.

"I need to know when you're out!" May said with determination. "And there would be a curfew! Plus, you are still grounded at the moment, so you will need to wait to put that plan in motion."

Tony took a step forward and spoke, "It sounds possible, kid, but you would need to be very careful. Ross is looking for you, studying Spider-Man's patterns. You may need to expand your radius a little and keep your distance from your house when you're suited up. This could work for a while, but I'm not sure how long it will take for him to start connecting those dots."

"Right…so, it just has to work long enough for the Accords to be amended." Peter rubbed his head and added, "You know, I'm willing to sign so long as my identity is a secret." Again, he looked at May. "They need to understand that the people signing the Accords aren't the only ones impacted by that decision."

Tony was studying Peter again. " _Damn this kid! Why does he have to be so likeable? How am I supposed to fix this and keep him safe?"_

"Ok, Spider-Man." Tony agreed. "It seems there are still some details that need to be ironed out, but you don't need me for that." He looked towards May, "There's still things that you need to discuss with your aunt, and you can both tell me what you decide. I'll respect it and help out as much as I can. Sound fair?"

"Yes. I can be agreeable to that," May confirmed before trying to hide a yawn.

Peter gave Tony a nod before asking, "FRIDAY, what time is it?"

The AI responded quickly, "It is 11:52 P.M., Peter. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I got this, FRIDAY," Tony cut in. "Oh…on my way down here, the guy who parked your car did a routine sweep. He informed me that you both had some bags in the trunk, so I had them taken to some rooms upstairs."

May looked mildly embarrassed and perhaps a little upset that someone went through her car. "Oh…Um…well…uhhh…"

Peter spoke up and smirked at Tony, "She was prepared to wait here all weekend in case you weren't here when we arrived."

Tony snorted a laugh and looked at May, "You wanted to punch me that badly, huh?" He absently put a hand to his face as he spoke.

May looked somewhat triumphant at the small mark that she left and rubbed her own hand slightly. "You deserved that." She said simply.

"I suppose I did, Muhammad Ali," he joked but Peter could tell that Tony really did feel that he deserved it.

"Anyway…the point is that you are welcome to stay. You're welcome the whole weekend if you'd like. Pete already has a room, and I had your bags placed in one of the other rooms just across the hall, May. You two will pretty much have that area of the building to yourself. Vision snuck off to have some happy times with Twitchy Scarlett fingers." He shrugged his shoulders, "He only thinks that I don't know about his little crush, but it's totally obvious. Who knew an Android could be just as weak as any other man when it comes to women?"

May looked a little confused, but mostly she looked exhausted.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter said, deciding to ignore the information about Vision. "But, we don't want to be a bother. I'm sure we'll head out tomorrow."

"Let's decide that in the morning, shall we?" Tony asked. "We may want the weekend to sort things out. Plus, I was hoping to work with you in the lab a little. I have some ideas for those web shooters of yours."

The three made their way to the door. May shook her head slightly, "I guess this is the new normal, huh?"

Peter put his arm around his aunt. "Everything will be ok, May."

She stifled another yawn.

"I'm going to join Pepper upstairs. Join me on the elevator, and I'll direct you to the right floor. FRIDAY will help you from there," Tony explained.

As they all entered the elevator, Peter noticed the exhaustion of his aunt yet again. He felt terrible for putting this burden on her. However, she did look a bit more relaxed than she had looked before. He only hoped that she would get some much-needed sleep that night.

The elevator moved up and stopped on the third floor. "Pepper and I are up on four," Tony explained. "FRIDAY can help you or notify me if you need anything."

It was late, and while May still had questions, her tired body was winning out. She would learn more about the compound later.

She and Peter waved their farewell to Tony as they stepped off the elevator. "Oh!" Tony added. "FRIDAY is programmed to give you full access, Pete. No one else can enter this part of the building without permission. Keep your aunt with you for now because I haven't programmed her in…yet. You'll be ok for tonight, but I would stick to this floor."

With that the doors closed, and Tony was gone. The lights in the space slowly dimmed up to a soft light that wasn't too harsh for the late hour. The floor was massive. They were standing in an open common area with a large kitchen off to the right.

"Your rooms are straight through the lounge area. You will find a hallway ahead. Peter's room is the second door on the left. Mrs. Parker will enter the third door on the right." FRIDAY's voice entered the space, making May jump slightly.

Peter smiled at her before leading her towards the hallway. They peaked into his room first.

May gasped at the sight. It was as big as their apartment in Queens, but the space was all meant for Peter. The room included a sitting area with a small entertainment system. It had the newest Xbox and games for Peter.

"Wow!" Peter gasped. "This is all mine?"

FRIDAY responded, "Yes, Peter. Mr. Stark stocked this space specifically for you. He also wants you to know that there is a wide selection of classic sci-fi films downloaded for your viewing pleasure."

"Seriously?" May asked. "This is…too much." She also saw an area with a desk/office type space in a little alcove. Beyond that was a door. They walked forward and opened the door, and they found that Peter's sleeping space was sectioned off from the sitting area. He had his own bathroom and walk-in closet. They walked into the massive bathroom and realized that there were two doors. One that gave him access to the bathroom from his sleeping area and another giving him access from the sitting area. They walked back to his bedroom.

"This bed is huge!" Peter exclaimed. It looked like a Queen size, and May didn't fail to notice the Star Wars posters and Lego sets that mimicked his room at home.

 _"Wow!"_ May thought. _"Stark didn't miss a single detail. This space is perfect for Peter_."

Peter looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He found his bag at the foot of the bed and reached for it.

He stopped himself and said, "Let's get you settled, Aunt May."

She nodded her head and followed Peter as he walked back towards the hallway. She was at a loss for words; Both because she was impressed by the extravagant room and because she was truly worn out.

They entered May's room to find a space that mirrored Peter's own. This space, however, had not yet been personalized for anyone in particular. It was more than enough for May. She turned towards Peter.

"I think I got it from here," She looked at him for a moment before pulling him into a hug. "I'm ready to crash, sweetheart. I don't want you to worry about anything else tonight. We both have a lot to think about and we need our rest. I'll be fine here, and I know where to find you if I need anything." He was quiet and looked thoughtful, so May asked, "Will you be ok?"

Peter finally looked up to meet her eyes. "I don't know what to think, Aunt May." He hugged her again and kissed her cheek lovingly. "But I want you to know that I'm glad you're here. This is crazy, and I never could've imagined…" He lifted his hands and motioned to their surroundings, "…all of this. I was scared to tell you, but I think I'm thankful that you know the truth. I feel more relieved than I thought I would. I'm still worried about you, but I also have hope…you know…I think..." He took another breath, "…I think we're going to be ok."

May gave him a reassuring smile and took his hands in her own. She gave his hands a squeeze and said, "Whatever happens next, it will be ok because we'll face it together. Just like we always do."

Peter squeezed her hands back. "You're right, May. Thank you…for everything…I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I love you, you know? Can you ever forgive me, Aunt May?"

She looked deeper into her nephew's eyes. "Oh honey, I already forgave you. I love you, kiddo!" She sighed and gave him another quick hug before pulling away and saying, "Alright enough of that for tonight! We need sleep, and I think that scotch has me feeling all the more tired. We'll talk more tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," Peter replied. "Goodnight, May." He turned to exit the room.

"Goodnight, Peter." She called after him.

As Peter closed her door behind him, he took a moment to lean back and rest his head on her door a moment. He used his enhanced hearing to listen and be sure that she was alright. He could hear her moving towards the bedroom and felt confident that she was ready to simply rest for the night.

Peter was beginning to realize just how tired he himself was feeling as he walked into his room. He went directly to his bag to see if she remembered to pack what he would need to get ready for bed. As he opened his bag, he was surprised to see the familiar red and blue of his suit beneath the other contents. _"She really did think of everything,"_ Peter thought to himself with a small smile.

He took what he needed into the bathroom, only to discover that the drawers and cupboards were already fully stocked. He shrugged his shoulders and opted to use what his aunt packed for him.

A few minutes later, Peter was climbing into the ginormous bed. It wasn't long after Peter's head hit the pillow that he was falling asleep. His last cognizant thought before sleep took him over was of a floating prison in the middle of the ocean. He suppressed a shudder as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**These characters are amazing, and they still belong to Marvel.**

Chapter 6: Saturday Morning

Peter awoke the next morning with a start. His enhanced senses screamed that something was different. Peter sat up in the bed and looked around wildly. Finally, he remembered the reason for which his senses were telling him that something wasn't right. This wasn't his bedroom. He was at the compound. Aunt May was there. She knew the truth. It was going to be a long ass day!

These thoughts fired rapidly through his mind, and he slammed his head back on the pillow before scrubbing hands over his face to wipe the remaining sleep from his eyes.

"Ugh…What time is it?" Peter wondered aloud.

"Good Morning, Peter. It is currently 7:18 A.M.," FRIDAY responded, making Peter jump slightly in surprise. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No…Nope, thanks FRIDAY. I'm…uh…yep…I'm good," Peter responded groggily.

There was no going back to sleep now. He stared at the ceiling recalling the events of the day before. School had been fairly normal considering what May had learned. Ned was supportive, and Peter was looking forward to filling in his friend when he saw him on Monday. He doubted May would give him back phone privileges yet. She was still upset over being lied to for so long. He imagined that the punishment could have been worse. _"Maybe my punishment should be worse?"_ Peter mused. _"If anyone has a right to lock me away in a prison, it's probably May."_

At this thought, Peter's mind went to that of Ross. Some part of Peter felt the whole thing was being exaggerated. What was the big deal? Surely the man had better things to do with his time than to look for Spider-Man. After all, Captain America and the others who refused to sign were still at large. Shouldn't he be more focused on them?

Peter eased his mind by deciding this was all something that he didn't really need to think about right now. The pressing issue was going to be some kind of agreement with his aunt. He needed to help her feel comfortable with the news that he is Spider-Man. _"She must see that it is part of who I am now, but how do I do that without making her worry more?"_ Peter was already getting a headache trying to figure this all out. He supposed what he needed was to get something to eat. He realized that his body was off because he never had a full meal the night before. He was so stressed about everything, he had only managed to eat some jerky in the car with May while driving upstate.

Slowly, Peter climbed out of bed. He pulled on some sweats and a t-shirt from his bag before combing his fingers through his hair. Making his way to the large bathroom, he took in his appearance. He guessed that it could be worse. He looked tired and perhaps a little pale, but he should feel much better after finding something to eat. Peter looked in the mirror and fixed his hair a bit more before exiting through the other door into the outer area that would allow him to exit into the hallway.

Peter stretched again in the hallway and looked towards his aunt's door. Slowly he made his way over. With a great deal of concentration, Peter listened for any sound from May. Finally, he could pick up the sounds of her light snoring. Peter smiled to himself. He was glad that his aunt was still sleeping soundly. There was no need for her to be up if she could get some much-needed sleep.

"Hey FRIDAY," Peter called softly.

"How may I help you, Peter?" The AI answered.

"Could you please make sure that my aunt isn't disturbed and let me know as soon as she wakes up?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Of course. Is there anything else I can do for you?" FRIDAY asked.

"Um…I need some breakfast," Peter said, feeling a bit foolish upon saying it.

"I believe you will find that food is usually available in the kitchen, Peter." He could've sworn he detected a bit of a snarky attitude from the AI with that response, but he decided to ignore that.

"Yeah…duh…silly me. Thanks FRIDAY." Peter made his way to the large kitchen which lit up the moment he stepped inside.

There were so many cabinets that Peter hardly knew where to begin. He decided the best bet was to start in the refrigerator. He was impressed to see that Tony had plenty of fresh food inside. _"Did he send someone to fill this up when we got here? I doubt Vision needs to eat anything, and Colonel Rhodes isn't here right now,"_ Peter wondered.

He thought about making some pancakes or eggs and bacon, but his stomach growled impatiently. He decided he didn't want to take the time to find everything he would need to do that. Instead, he grabbed some orange juice and milk and started to look for some cereal. He found plenty of cereal in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. The cereal was stored in fancy plastic storage containers rather than kept in the store packaging. Peter settled for the one that looked like Frosted Mini-Wheats. Next, he located a bowl and a spoon and made his way to sit over at the counter.

The entire floor was silent. His enhanced hearing could detect some sound from above, and he recalled Tony telling him that he and Pepper were up there. He shrugged his shoulders deciding that they were probably early risers. Peter enjoyed the quiet. At home, he had to focus in order to keep his senses from being over stimulated. He felt an odd sense of peace here, and he supposed it could be the calm before the storm.

Peter filled his large bowl with the cereal and added the milk. He ate a lot these days in order to keep up with his fast metabolism, and the meager food from the night before hadn't been nearly enough. He would need to eat a lot. Peter went to pour a glass of OJ, but he realized that he had forgotten the glass. He briefly entertained the idea of drinking from the carton, but he decided to get up and look for a glass. After locating the correct cabinet and grabbing what he needed, he noticed a glass dish with fresh-looking muffins and a basket of fruit. _"How did I miss that?"_ He thought. Again, he shrugged his shoulders. This kitchen was so big that it was hard to take everything in at once. He grabbed what looked to be a blueberry muffin, and he snagged a banana from the basket before heading back over to his spot at the counter.

Peter stuffed the entire muffin in his mouth while filling up his glass with the orange juice. He used the OJ to wash down the rest of the muffin before peeling back the banana and taking a few bites. _"Man, I really need to be more careful about missing meals. I'm starving!"_ Peter chuckled to himself as he continued fueling his body with the goodies he found in the kitchen. After eating 3 bowls of cereal, a muffin, and a banana, Peter was emptying the carton of orange juice into his glass. _"I guess I should've skipped the glass after all_ ," Peter thought.

As Peter began to clean up, he realized that he hadn't started any coffee for May. He always made sure that her coffee was ready on Saturday mornings, and he wouldn't let this be any different. Peter, himself, had no need for coffee. He made the mistake of drinking a cup with Ned not long after getting his powers, and he felt like a wild monkey with ADHD or something. _"Maybe more of a Spider Monkey_ ," Peter mused.

After cleaning up his own mess, Peter scanned the kitchen for a coffee pot. What he found looked more like something a Starbucks barista would use. Peter blew out a frustrated breath before grabbing another muffin. He took a bite, and while he was still chewing he asked, "Hey FWIYAY…How do I wor dis cawee mawchee?" Crumbs flew from his mouth as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't quite understand you? Are you in distress? I can contact Mr. Stark…"

Peter finished his treat quickly, swallowed and quickly cut in, "NO! No…I'm fine. Sorry! I should have swallowed first." He briefly wondered if the AI even understood that explanation, but he decided to just go back to the question that he was trying to ask in the first place.

"FRIDAY, I'm trying to understand how this coffee machine works. Can you help me?" He clarified.

"I am happy to assist you, Peter." FRIDAY responded. "I can make any kind of coffee you'd like. Do you have a preference?"

Peter sighed. _"Of course Mr. Stark can't have a normal coffee maker!"_

"Umm…Could you just make sure that the pot is filled with some strong regular coffee for Aunt May when she wakes up?" Peter asked.

"Which kind of regular coffee would Mrs. Parker like? I can prepare a nice breakfast roast, French roast, Columbian, Sumatra…"

"Ugh…the French roast should be fine." Peter interrupted with the first one the sounded familiar.

"Ok. I will be sure to have it brewing as soon as Mrs. Parker awakes. She still seems to be in a deep sleep at the moment, so I will likely wait for some time." FRIDAY explained.

Peter was happy to hear that she was still sleeping so soundly. "That's great. Thanks!"

Peter walked back into his room. As soon as the door closed, FRIDAY's voice filled the space saying, "Mr. Stark is asking for you to join him in the lab on the second floor, Peter. I informed him that you are awake, and he is eager to show you some ideas for your web shooters."

"What about Aunt May?" Peter asked. "I thought I was supposed to stay with her until Mr. Stark gave her more access."

"Mr. Stark took care of granting access to Mrs. Parker this morning. I will be happy to fill her in and direct her towards the lab when she awakes," FRIDAY mentioned.

Peter shook his head in amusement, _"I shouldn't be surprised that Mr. Stark already managed to program the access for Aunt May."_

Peter looked around at the room. He had been hoping to explore this space some more, but he supposed that he should meet up with Mr. Stark and not keep him waiting.

Peter started making his way back to hallway when FRIDAY stopped him. "Mr. Stark would like you to bring your suit with you, Peter."

"Can you see me?" Peter asked the AI nervously.

"I do not have visual access into the private quarters, Peter. Mr. Stark simply added the request for you to bring your suit with you," FRIDAY clarified.

Peter blew around a breath, glad that he and May had that privacy. He walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his suit. He was happy that May had put it into his bag. It was a little surprising that she hadn't packed it into her own. _"Actually, it's surprising that she felt the need to pack it at all,"_ Peter thought.

Peter took his Spidey-suit, slipped on a pair of sneakers, and made his way out of the room and towards the elevator. Peter paused as he walked by the kitchen. In a moment of decision, he quickly snatched one more muffin before hitting the button to call for the elevator. The delicious pastry was already gone before the elevator even arrived.

With a smile, Peter stepped inside as FRIDAY lowered it down towards the second floor.

" _Maybe today won't be so bad after all."_ He thought cheerfully.

Tony was waiting for him on the second floor and walked with him towards the lab.

"How'd you sleep? Good?" Tony asked, but he didn't really give him time to answer and continued as soon as he saw the slightest nod from Peter. "Great. Listen, I would just as soon forget about that uncomfortable business with your aunt's fist and my face. We have more pressing things to worry about, so don't go fussing about that and apologizing for nothing, ok?"

Peter looked at him with surprise thinking, _"How did he know that I wanted to apologize?"_

Instead, Tony continued, "I've been thinking more about the Ross situation. I think it's important that you know how to best use your suit in order to protect yourself if necessary. Got it…"

Peter flinched, "Umm…" was all he got out

"…Good. This way." Tony directed him to the corner of the lab, and Peter was surprised to find a work space that seemed dedicated to the hardware for his suit.

"Mr. Stark…is this…" Peter saw a screen pop up with designs for what appeared to be his web-shooters. "WOW! I mean…you did all of this for…What I mean is…this is all for Spider-Man? For Me?" The look of wonder on Peter's face made him look more like an elementary kid than a high school genius.

Tony gave him a big smile that clearly said, _"Look who you're talking to, kid"_ and merely shrugged his shoulders. "I have a curious mind. Sometimes I like to mess with something other than my own armor." He jerked his head towards another table. "I've got some arrows over there for Legolas…err well…Barton, but that's on hold seeing as he took a deal and is currently on house arrest."

Peter figured there was probably more to that story, but he wanted Tony to focus on his stuff right now. He had so many questions.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. This is amazing." He looked closer at the graphic in front of him. "This doesn't have a place for the canister of web liquid." Peter noted with confusion.

Tony smirked, "Obviously we need to think about how to feed the liquid to your shooter without the need to refill it constantly." The man's brows furrowed a moment and he looked more serious. "We can't have you trying to web yourself to a plane high in the sky only to run out and fall to your death, now can we?" At this, he looked up towards Peter with an accusing look.

Peter gulped. Mr. Stark had a point. He had the parachute, but even that had proved unreliable. He almost died just getting tangled in it under the water. Peter noticed that Tony was still looking at him and waiting for a response, "Yeah…umm…no, that would be bad," Peter finally agreed.

Before Tony could continue, Peter asked, "What about the other suit?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at him, "You mean the one I showed you before?" He stood up straight, "I decided that one is the Avenger suit. You can have that one when you are officially a member of the team. I'm not sure you're ready for all the stuff that one can do yet anyway." Tony gave him a playful slap on the arm, "You haven't even mastered this one yet!"

Peter gave an embarrassed cough and responded, "I guess you're right. So, what do we do first?"

Tony gave him a smile and began to show him exactly what they needed to do. The men had no trouble busying themselves in the lab, working side by side.

* * *

May was comfortable. She took a deep breath and slowly blinked her eyes open. In a way that was not so different from Peter, she sat up quickly and looked around. Everything came flooding back to her. She looked around the massive room. It should have felt like a vacation, but these elaborate surroundings were more daunting for her. Her nephew was Spider-Man, and she was at the Avengers Compound trying to come to some kind of agreement about his welfare with Iron Man. May swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her head in her hands. She looked up and around for a moment.

"Umm…Hello? FRIDAY?" She called loudly.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Parker. I have started some coffee for you in the kitchen at Peter's request. Is there anything else that you need?" FRIDAY asked her.

May smiled at the information about Peter making sure she had her coffee. He was thoughtful for a teenager. "What time is it?" May inquired.

"It is 10:51 A.M., Mrs. Parker. It was Peter's request to let you get some rest and not disturb you."

"Oh my God!" May burst out of bed and went for her bag. She was dressed quickly, and simply put her hair into a neat ponytail. She made her way into the bathroom to put on some finishing touches before leaving the room and making her way to the kitchen. She was surprised that Peter wasn't there.

Before she could even ask, FRIDAY's voice was heard once again. "I have informed Peter that you are awake, as he requested. He would like you to know that he is with Mr. Stark in the second-floor laboratory. You have been granted access and are welcome to join them after having something to eat and getting your coffee."

 _"He left me up here by myself?"_ May was a little hurt that he didn't wait, but she supposed that he was probably up much earlier, per usual. She realized he was trying to give her some space to rest and recover from the past few days. _"That boy…when will he realize that I'm the one who's supposed to look after him?_ " May thought.

She found the freshly brewed coffee ready for her. After going through multiple cabinets, she found a Stark Industries travel mug. _"Perfect! I'll take this coffee to go."_ She decided. Not far from the coffee, she saw a dish with muffins. She noticed that quite a few appeared to be missing and smiled knowing Peter probably helped himself. May didn't bother with cream and sugar. She was eager to find Peter and turned to go to the elevator. May paused a moment and looked back at the muffins. In a moment of decision, she turned and grabbed a blueberry one and started munching on it as she pressed the button. She must have been hungry because it was gone before the elevator doors could even open. She quickly wiped away any crumbs from her face, stepped inside, and made her way to the second floor to find her nephew.

 **A/N - Just keeping it light before the storm rolls in. Stay tuned. I'm trying my best to capture the characters for how they are portrayed in the films. I added the similarities to May and Peter because I feel like people pick up on similar habits after living together for a time. Anyway...reviews and feedback are welcome. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Same old disclaimer…these fine folks belong to Marvel.**

 **A/N: I hope you stick with me. I feel the need to spend a little more time on character development before getting back to the problem at hand. It's like the Marvel directors said in the Infinity War bonus features, "Character first!"**

Chapter 7: Saturday Afternoon

The elevator doors opened to the second floor, and May was quick to exit. She was on a mission to find Peter. She didn't even bother to ask FRIDAY which way to go. How hard could it be track down her own teenage kid? She made her way carefully down the hall, sipping her coffee (which was delicious) as she went along. Most of the rooms were empty. As she made her way towards the end of the hallway, she saw light and activity coming from one lab in particular. _"Bingo!"_ She thought to herself. May marched into the doorway, ready to give Peter a proper scolding for letting her sleep too long and leaving her alone.

However, what she saw stopped her in her tracks and made her take a step back out into the hallway. She leaned her head back against the wall just outside of the lab door. Carefully, she leaned to the side and turned her head so that she could spy on the two people working away in the corner of the lab.

 _"My God,"_ May thought to herself, _"He looks just like he used to look when helping his Uncle Ben with things around the house!"_ May once again leaned back against the wall and took a moment to breathe. In her mind, she could see a younger Peter determined to help his uncle change a flat tire. Little Peter was so focused, and when he was really focused he would squint his eyes and nibble at his lower lip as he concentrated. May stealthily looked through the door again.

Peter was standing next to Tony at the lab table. They had some hologram image in front of them, but they were focused intently on something Peter had in his hand. Sure enough, May recognized the same intense look of concentration on Peter's face; the same look he had that first time he helped his uncle with the car tire. Perhaps even more interesting was the way Tony worked with him. Tony was leaning closely next to Peter and was patiently explaining something about the item in Peter's hand.

 _"Ben used to patiently teach him things; the look on his face wasn't so different from the look on Tony's face right now,"_ May noted to herself. Again, May turned away and leaned back against the wall. If she didn't know any better, she might think Stark was excited to spend time with her dear nephew. She took another determined breath before stepping away from the wall and turned to step into the room once more.

As she went to move into the room, she heard Tony say something to Peter about, "Go ahead and give it a try."

Before she had time to figure out what that meant, she found herself ducking to avoid being hit by something that was coming straight at her head. It was a good thing she had the travel mug, or Stark would have coffee all over his lab floor.

From her crouching position, May peaked up to see what looked like webbing stuck to the upper right side of the door frame. Slowly, she stood up, keeping her eyes on the webbing. She let out the breath she was holding and used her eyes to follow the webbing back to its source. Finally, her eyes landed on her nephew's shocked face. His mouth opened and closed, like a fish gasping for air.

"Aunt May…I'm so sorry…are you…I didn't mean it! FRIDAY told me you were up, but I didn't hear you or see you there! I probably should have noticed, but I was so focused…Mr. Stark…um…he was showing me…I'm so sorry! Are you ok?"

Before he could continue his frantic apology, Tony stepped in. "Take a breath, kid. She's fine. She just looks a little surprised." Tony gave May his signature smile before taking a step in her direction and turning to face her fully. "Gosh, May, you look well. It's so nice to see you looking refreshed! Pete and I were just talking about how we might be able to improve this suit of his…" he used a hand to direct her attention to Peter's suit on the table, "…and possibly upgrade his web-shooters." Tony now pointed to the webbing near her head, "But I'm sure you figured that part out."

May cleared her throat and stepped closer to see what they were doing. "You're working on the suit that Peter isn't going to be using for a couple of weeks?" She directed her gaze to Peter.

"Yeah, well…I mean…uh…I saw you packed it in my bag, and Mr. Stark wanted to work on it, so I thought it would be ok. It is ok, right? I'm sorry, Aunt May. I keep screwing this up. I didn't mean to upset…"

She cut him off. She smiled and shook her head at him, "Oh Peter, you make it too easy." She took a deep breath, took a sip of coffee, and continued, "I suppose I don't mind you working on it." She stepped up to the table and set her coffee down. "So, tell me…just how does this ridiculous spandex outfit help keep Peter safe?"

Peter clearly looked relieved.

Tony answered her question, "This ridiculously expensive suit has everything in it. Audio, video, tracking, parachute, heater, his own AI (he calls her KAREN), a place to store his web liquid canisters, and more," Tony beamed and looked quite proud of himself.

May blinked at the man, "So, you spy on my kid as he runs around in a skin-tight spider outfit?"

Peter coughed and tried to hide the chuckle that escaped from his mouth at Tony's horrified expression.

"I _do not_ spy on the kid!" Tony insisted. "I just…he needs to be monitored in case he makes a bad decision. You know…like getting taken up into the sky by a vulture-man and dropped into a lake!"

May continued to stare at him.

"Look, I don't sit here and watch the kid's every move! FRIDAY is connected to KAREN, and I simply get an alert if something is amiss!" Tony threw his hands in the air, and he looked completely flustered by May's interpretation of the suit.

Peter's aunt quirked her mouth up into a satisfied smirk. "Oh Tony…" she said, "You make it too easy!"

This time is was Tony's turn to blink. Did May just tease him? Is that what happened? He recovered quickly, "Ahem…well, you needed the win. You looked a little flustered after Spider-Kid nearly webbed you in the face."

The three looked at each other for a moment before a fourth person entered the room.

"Tony, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to sign a few things for me. I need to get this paperwork out to the board so that they can look it over before our meeting on Monday." With heels clicking on the floor, Pepper Potts herself stepped into the lab and took in the three flustered faces before her. She started by acknowledging May.

After setting down the papers for Tony, Pepper extended her hand to Peter's aunt, "You must be May Parker," she smiled. "I must say, I am huge fan."

May shook Pepper's hand but looked genuinely confused, "A fan? Of me?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Pepper confirmed, "It's not everyday I meet someone else who can put Tony in his place. Nice shot by the way." She nodded her head towards the slight bruise that was still visible on Tony's face.

May laughed nervously, "Haha…that…yeah. I feel like I should apologize to you for that, Pepper." She looked over to Tony, "Then again…I just really couldn't stop myself."

Pepper gave May a beautiful smile, "Please…no worries! I told Tony he was on his own, and I knew you would give him a proper scolding for dragging Peter into this mess."

"Excuse me," Peter said, "I am standing right here!" He crossed his arms in front of him, looking indignant. "And no one dragged me into anything. I became Spider-Man without anyone's help. Mr. Stark…" he gave a wave in Tony's direction, "… just tried to help me. Or at least he helped me after I helped him…err…um…"

Tony sent a disbelieving look in Peter's direction. He placed a hand on his heart and pretended to be wounded. "That hurts, Pete. After all that we've been through…"

"That's enough, boys." Pepper spoke up. "Tony, I need you to sign those and then it is really about some time we all get lunch." She looked at May, "You must be hungry…did you eat?"

As May and Pepper started to talk, Tony and Peter were distracted once again with the web-shooter.

"Well…" May started, "I had a muffin before coming down." Her stomach rumbled, and a blush appeared on her cheeks. "However, I didn't eat much yesterday, so I guess it would be good to eat something more substantial."

Pepper smiled and picked up the papers, noting that Tony had quickly scribbled his signature before focusing back on his project with Peter.

"A little more to the right…that might be too tight," he was telling Peter, who listened intently to his mentor.

Pepper smiled and shook her head a little and spoke again to May, "I think perhaps the two of us should get lunch, and we'll have someone bring sandwiches up to them." She nodded towards the two men in front of them. It was as if Pepper and May had become invisible.

"Peter…" May said, "Does that sound ok? Do you want someone to bring you a sandwich or something?"

"Huh?" Peter responded, "Oh yeah…sure, May! I'm starving. Um…could I get a nice big one with pickles? Oh…and I like it when it's squished down real flat!" Peter added.

"I'm sure we can make that happen," Pepper commented.

Tony added, "You know what I like, hon. Or you don't have to worry, sometimes I forget to eat what they bring me anyway."

"Hmm…yes, I know that Tony, but I do think your guest needs the food." She said. Tony smiled and gave her a nod in confirmation.

The two women stood and watched the men for a few more seconds before Pepper put her hand on May's shoulder. "Come on, there's no talking to men in the lab when they're like this." They began walking to the door before Pepper called back to get Tony's attention. "Don't forget, you promised me that I would have you all evening! I want you upstairs by 4:00 o'clock, Tony. Ahem…Tony?!"

"Yes, mam! 4:00 o'clock! Wedding discussion over dinner," he looked up and flashed her a smile, "I'll be all yours!"

"Good," Pepper said, "And then I'm sure Peter's aunt will appreciate getting her nephew back!"

Tony and Peter ignored her last comment as they were back to being completely engrossed in their project.

"Wow," May said, "that was…" they were walking down the hallway now back towards the elevator, "…Tony's really good with him, isn't he?" May asked the beautiful woman beside her.

"I've only met Peter briefly before today," Pepper confessed, "But Tony is definitely different since Peter came along."

"Really?" May asked as they entered the elevator and Pepper pressed the button for the main floor.

"Oh yeah…I'll tell you over lunch," Pepper said with a smile.

* * *

Downstairs, Pepper led May to the cafeteria. This is where anyone else on duty at the compound could get something to eat, but it looked more like a nice restaurant than a cafeteria. The women walked up to what looked like a carving station where Pepper placed an order for them and asked that someone take food up to Tony and Peter.

May looked around with wonder, "This place really has everything, doesn't it?"

"I can have Happy give you the grand tour after lunch if you'd like. I have a feeling Peter and Tony will be busy for a while," Pepper added.

"Yeah…I guess," May looked down and started to play with the silverware as they sat down.

"I'm sure this is a lot to take in. I wanted to sit down with you because I do have some idea of what you're feeling," Pepper explained.

May looked up and gave her a quizzical look.

"Tony is like a big kid," Pepper went on. "I've worked with him and looked out for his interests for years now. Falling in love with him ten years ago…at the same time he became Iron Man…" Pepper took a deep breath, "…that was unexpected…and crazy!"

May studied her from across the table and waited for her to continue.

"I've worried about him everyday since this all started. We even took a break around the same time that Tony met Peter," she sighed, "The worry eats at me sometimes. I mean…he carried a nuclear weapon into a worm hole! I almost lost him then! It's hard not knowing what he will do next." She stopped and locked eyes with May, "I imagine that you are terrified for Peter. Probably even more worried for him than I am for Tony because Peter is so young."

This time it was May's turn to speak up. "I do worry. I'm not even a blood relative," May explained. "But my husband, Ben, and I had made a promise to keep Peter safe." Tears began to form in May's eyes, "Pepper…how am I supposed to keep him safe when he is climbing skyscrapers and swinging around the city on webs?! I am out of my realm here!"

Pepper reached across the table and placed her hand on top of May's. "Over the years, I've learned not to worry about the things that I can't do for Tony. There are countless things that Pepper Potts is unable to do for Iron Man." She gave May's hand a squeeze. "However, Pepper Potts can so an awful lot for Tony Stark."

May nodded her hand and blinked away the tears that were trying to form in her eyes. "So, you're saying that I should not worry about what I can do for Spider-Man, and focus only on what Aunt May can do for Peter Parker?"

"It's worth a shot, right?" Pepper asked.

"I guess you're right," May agreed. "That's all I can do right now." She looked up at Pepper and squeezed her hand again before releasing it and pulling her hands down onto her lap. "There was something else that you told me earlier…you mentioned that Tony was different since meeting Peter. What did you mean?" May asked.

Pepper leaned back in her chair. As she did, someone brought over a tray with their sandwiches. May blinked at the food in front of her. The bread looked like it was freshly made, and the meat was freshly carved. It looked nothing like the lunch meat May used to make Peter a sandwich at home. May took her plate off the tray and eagerly took a bite of the delicious-looking sandwich. She had to suppress a moan as it melted in her mouth. She really was hungry.

Pepper smiled at her as she took a bite of her own sandwich and placed it back down on the plate in front of her. She took a sip of her water before answering May's question.

"Well…Tony treats Peter differently. Oddly, he has more respect for Peter than he ever had for anyone else on his team." Pepper looked thoughtful a moment, "except perhaps for Bruce…" seeing May's confused face she continued, "oh…never mind. The point is that Tony treats Peter the way I think…" she looked at May before lowering her voice a little and finishing her sentence, somewhat insecurely, "…I think he treats him more like a son." She looked up, trying to read May's expression.

May wasn't sure exactly how to respond. She had witnessed some of that behavior herself before Peter had nearly sent his webbing into her face.

"I think I know what you mean…when I saw them earlier," she cleared her throat, "it reminded me of the way Ben used to be with Peter. Ben was the brother of Peter's father, Richard. The death of his parents was really hard, but Ben…Peter was his last link to his brother. Ben adored Peter, and it surprised me to see Tony act so much like Ben," May admitted.

Pepper chuckled a little before adding, "You know…" she smiled, "Tony has even started to drop what he thinks are subtle hints about the two of us having kids." She shook her head a little, "It seems that Peter has activated some kind of paternal instinct in Tony." She quirked an eyebrow at May. "I don't hate the idea, but it does worry me that something could happen to him. I'd hate to bring a kid into that."

May nodded her head in understanding, then gave a cheeky smile to her new friend, "Being a single parent isn't so bad. I love my life with Peter. I would just recommend learning all about school field trips and making sure your kids stay away from facilities that are experimenting with spiders!"

The two chuckled a bit more before digging back into their sandwiches and finishing lunch in a companionable silence.

* * *

After lunch, Pepper excused herself to get some more work done before meeting with Tony later. Pepper had put Happy in charge of showing May around the compound a little.

The man looked less than thrilled at first, but he seemed to take a shining to May after learning that she was responsible for the newest mark on Tony's face.

About an hour into Happy's tour, they were in the elevator heading towards the lower level.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Hogan," Came FRIDAY's voice, "But I think you should know that Mr. Stark and Peter have moved into the lower level training room. Will you be needing me to inform them of your arrival?"

Happy smiled over at May, "Oh! No, FRIDAY…I think we'll surprise them. I'm sure May is a little curious to see what they're up to."

May gave Happy a smile and nodded her confirmation.

They stepped off the elevator only to walk up to window that overlooked something that reminded May of a giant gymnasium a lower down. From the window, they could watch what was going on below. May was impressed to see that Stark had set up a space that had massive blocks that mimicked the buildings in the city. She watched as Peter, in his suit, swung around the room on his webs as Iron Man flew above him. She was impressed to see how quickly Peter moved. Suddenly, Iron Man charged in Peter's direction. The boy used a quick maneuver so that he was crawling along the wall away from danger. He shot a web out over towards a large block and started swinging once again.

May couldn't help but to smile in wonder at her nephew as he twisted and flipped through the air with ease. Her smile quickly faded when she saw Iron Man blasted a web loose and Peter tumbled to the floor below.

She squealed and leaned forward to get a closer look at the floor below. Peter was shaking it off, and he removed his mask to look at Tony as the other man landed and removed his helmet. The two were talking to one another below when May turned to Happy with determination and said, "I want to hear what they're saying."

Happy pressed a button nearby and May could hear Tony's voice as he spoke to Peter.

"…You're doing a great job, Pete. However, I noticed that, when you swing around on your webs, you're too focused on the webs to take in other things around you. You need to be tapping into your abilities, use those enhanced senses to recognize danger."

"…I know, but…"

"No buts, kid! You won't do anyone any good if you go splat! Navigating with your webs should be more instinctual, so that you aren't so focused on it. You should practice more, especially since you don't have to worry about running out of webbing. I can help you manufacture it here. As you move around, try to pay more attention to what else you can see and hear, ok?"

"Yes, sir," Peter confirmed. "Although, I don't know that anyone will be using technology like yours. These webs are really strong!"

"Never underestimate your opponent, Pete. You need to be prepared no matter what!" Tony gave Peter a firm look before once again replacing his helmet. "Ready? Let's go some more. Try using some of the adjustments we made to your suit. Become more familiar with your web combinations. I know we haven't perfected the web-shooters and you still need those refills, so practice doing that quickly as well."

May watched as Peter replaced his own mask before shooting a web back up to pull himself back into the air.

She looked at Happy, "Thank you. I don't need to hear anymore." She looked thoughtful a moment. "I think I would like to head back to my room, Happy. I'd like to do some thinking before Peter joins me later."

Happy gave her nod, "Of course, Mrs. Parker. I'll walk you back."

"Please…call me May," she smiled to him.

Happy didn't miss just how beautiful the smile was. He looked away to hide the blush he felt creeping onto his cheeks, "May…" he repeated.

After accompanying her back upstairs, Happy left May to her thoughts.

She had a pretty good plan forming in her mind. Now all she needed to do was hope that Peter and Tony would agree that it would be a good idea.


	8. Chapter 8

**Marvel has the most amazing characters!**

Chapter 8: Making Plans and Heading Home

Peter felt exhausted as he made his way back to the third floor. He ran into Happy after training with Mr. Stark, and he learned that Aunt May had gone upstairs earlier. He decided it was about time that he made his way back upstairs as well, after thanking Mr. Stark for helping him with his suit and train.

He found his aunt sitting in the large lounging area, reading a magazine. As he walked closer, he saw her set the magazine down on the coffee table and stand to look at him. Peter noticed her giving him a quizzical look.

May raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "What? No tights? I could've sworn I saw you swinging around in red and blue in the lower level earlier."

Peter froze and looked at his aunt with wide eyes. "Wait…what? You saw…uhh…sorry. Mr. Stark thought it would be important to run some tests and show me…"

May threw up her hands and signaled to Peter that he didn't need to explain. "It's…Peter, it's fine."

As Peter looked at her, he noticed that she had that playful twinkle in her eye.

 _"She was messing with me again,"_ he thought, _"That's a good sign, right?"_ He spoke up, "So…how much did you see?" he asked with curiosity.

"I saw enough," May said as she turned to walk around the couch towards Peter. "It was…" she met his eyes, "it was impressive." She smirked, "at least up until the moment Iron Man made you fall on your face."

Peter blushed furiously, "Uhhh…yeah, well…He was just trying to make a point about…"

"…I get it," She cut in. "Happy was able to let me hear the audio of your conversation with Tony. It was…eye opening."

Peter squinted at his aunt and cocked his head. He had no idea what that meant.

Before he could ask, May wrinkled her nose and took a closer look at him. "Why don't we discuss this more after you get a shower? Pepper called to ask if we would like sushi for dinner. Apparently, that's what she and Tony are having, so she naturally felt it would be nice to have that sent to us." Peter didn't miss the look of amazement on his aunt's face.

He wondered for a moment if she could get used to living like this. "Ms. Potts is really nice," Peter added.

May nodded her head. "Well, you're not having dinner with me like that, so go take a break and get cleaned up, ok?"

"Yeah…sure, Aunt May." Peter walked passed her towards his room.

He hadn't gone far before May called after him, "Oh! And just where is that fancy suit of yours? Don't think that I'm not going to want to keep an eye on that, Spider-Man!"

Peter stopped. A smile crept its way onto his face before he turned to answer her, "Mr. Stark took it. He said he was going to have it cleaned up before making some final tweaks. Happy was told to deliver it to you personally for "safe-keeping" or something. I think he's trying to get on your good side, Aunt May."

 _"Let him try,"_ May thought to herself. She cleared her throat a little before responding to Peter, "That's…thoughtful of him, I suppose."

"Yeah…it's great. Everyone just loves treating Spider-Man like a kid," Peter commented. His voice was careful though, and the words held some humor to them. He turned and kept walking towards his room. He didn't miss May's quiet remark as he walked away.

"You're my kid, Spider-Man," he heard her say.

May watched Peter go into his room. _"So, Tony is backing me up on keeping the suit from Peter for a while? Huh…maybe he isn't so bad."_ She laughed quietly to herself before returning to the couch and picking her magazine up again. _"That, however, is something that I will never admit out loud."_

Inside his room again, Peter took a steadying breath. This had been a weird day. It wasn't a bad day; it was just…weird. He didn't really know what he expected to happen if May ever found out the truth, but he was pretty sure that this wasn't it. He walked into the bathroom and took in his own haggard appearance. Removing his shirt, he saw a bruise from where he collided with one of the blocks while training. He touched it and only winced a little. He could tell by the color of the bruise that it was already healing, so he wasn't too worried. _"I just can't let May see this,"_ he thought.

As Peter started the water in the fancy and large shower, he wondered what his aunt meant when she referred to his conversation with Mr. Stark as "eye-opening." He shrugged his shoulders and finished undressing. He decided that he would likely find out after getting out of the shower.

The hot water over his muscles was soothing. He smiled to himself as he thought about working with Tony earlier. It was nice when they could just focus on science and technology together. His smile faded, however, when he thought about the reason behind Tony's eagerness to work with him. Tony had been seriously concerned about people approaching or coming after Spider-Man, and he wanted Peter to be ready to defend himself.

Peter finished his shower and reluctantly turned off the water. He stepped out and used his hand to wipe the fog from the mirror. He smiled when he saw signs that his bruise was healing more.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and exited into his bedroom to find something to wear. His stomach growled loudly as he searched through his bag. He pulled out a few items, and he decided he might snag another muffin before dinner. Pulling his shirt over his head and running his fingers through his hair, Peter grabbed his sneakers as he made his way back out to the kitchen.

May was standing up and putting some things on the table as he came back out. She looked up to see him leaning on the wall and pulling on his sneakers as he approached.

"Much better," she commented with an approving nod, seeing Peter looking more put together.

"Are you ok, Peter?" She asked, "You seem a little pale." She examined him more as he approached.

Peter made his way over to the dish of muffins and pulled one out. He looked over to her and offered a small smile. "I'm just hungry. I need to try to eat a lot to keep up with my fast metabolism," he explained.

May nodded slowly. "They called to say the food should be up shortly. It's a little earlier than we would usually eat at home, but I guess they know we're hungry."

"Uhh…yeah, I suppose." Peter agreed taking a bite of the muffin.

"Why don't you grab me one of those and sit with me?" May said.

Peter took out another muffin and made his way over to the table, after snagging an orange from the fruit bowl as well.

May smiled at him as he sat down. "I've been thinking, Peter."

He passed her the muffin and began peeling the orange nervously. "Thinking?"

"A lot of thinking," she nodded. "This is still a lot to take in…you being super-human and all. But I made a promise to take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise. I need to look after Peter Parker, and Peter Parker wants to stay on the ground and finish high school." May spoke with determination. She paused and took a bite of her muffin and looked up to make sure Peter was listening.

He nodded his head and indicated that she should continue.

"I saw Tony training with you earlier," she said. "I'm not so sure I can look after Spider-Man, and that worries me. However, Pepper mentioned earlier that I should focus on what I can do for you, Peter."

Peter gave her a confused look, but he figured he should still wait to speak.

May took a deep breath and set her muffin down. "The way I see it, we go home and let you finish high school in Queens. We continue doing our thing as Aunt May and Peter," she used her hand to point back and forth between the two of them, "with me keeping the teenager in line."

"Ok, but…" Peter started, but Aunt May cut him off and continued.

"As I said, I saw how Tony…er uh Iron Man... whatever! I saw how he worked with you, Peter. I heard him give you ideas on how to improve your skills and train you as Spider-Man, so…" May rubbed her head with her hand. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but…I think you need Tony. I think Iron Man can help look out for the Spider-Man side of you."

Peter's eyebrows shot up and he gave his aunt a surprised look.

"Therefore…" she continued. "I am agreeing with what you proposed to us last night, with a few modifications."

They were interrupted by the elevator doors opening. There was a man in a chef's hat that smiled at them as he rolled a cart over to the table. Both May and Peter watched with amusement as the man unloaded loads of sushi, fish, vegetables, and other delicious-looking side dishes.

"Um…" May looked at the man in confusion. "I know Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts were supposed to have some dinner. Are you sure…? Um… what I mean is…"

Peter finished for her, "Is this all for us?" he asked.

The chef didn't really answer. He just smiled and nodded his head before wheeling the cart back towards the elevator. He smiled and waved to the two of them as the doors slid closed.

"Ok…" Peter said. "This looks amazing!"

May watched as Peter loaded his plate with the food. She shrugged and followed his lead.

After taking a few bites, Peter got his aunts attention back to the earlier topic.

"You agree that I should continue with my routine? Peter Parker the high-school student during the day, and spending time as Spider-Man after school?" Peter asked.

"Mmmm…" May replied. "Yes, but your time as Spider-Man will be more like practice and training. Nothing too dangerous! You should do what Tony suggested and focus on your enhanced senses or whatever."

 _"She really was listening earlier!"_ Peter realized.

"And we're going to talk to Stark about having you spend more time here," May added.

"Really?" Peter asked, perhaps a little too excited.

"I want you to get training in. Whether I like it or not, Tony has more experience with this. I think he, or other people that work here, can help you. It makes me feel better knowing that you aren't trying to figure out this Spider-Man thing alone." She looked at Peter and he noticed the fierce concentration on her face as she spoke.

"Wow…" Peter wasn't sure what to say. "May…I…"

Their eyes met, and Peter smiled at his aunt.

"I'm really lucky to have you, Aunt May." He finally said. "You truly are the best!" He meant every word.

She smirked, "I know, I know." Then she sighed, "I just hope Stark can still fit his head in that Iron Man helmet after I tell him I'd like to partner with him on this."

Peter gave a small laugh. "Yeah…"

"I think you should spend some of your winter break here… and your spring break as well. Probably a good chunk of summer vacation, too." She thought for a moment. "Hopefully that internship will be enough of a cover for your presence here." She went back to taking a few bites of her food.

Peter took a few bites of his own food before he spoke, "You know, my 16th birthday is over spring break."

"Yes, Peter. I know when your birthday is," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You'll be here, right Aunt May?" he asked.

She looked up at him with surprise.

"I mean…I'll ask Mr. Stark if you can come. At least sometimes…he did give you access" Peter spoke quickly.

May smiled. _"At least he doesn't want to get rid of me yet."_ She thought.

"Yes. We'll discuss this with Tony." She thought for a moment. "I'm not sure I can come every time, but…" She stopped and nodded towards the feast in front of them, "I think I can suffer through a few more visits here while you train."

Peter smiled again. "Cool! Yeah…I mean, I think this is a great plan!"

 _"There he goes again…looking like a kid on Christmas morning!"_ May thought.

Peter noticed that she grew quiet. "You ok, May?"

"Haha… yeah, I was just thinking." She said. "One minute you're this young-looking and innocent kid and the next moment you're this determined and fierce superhero. It's a strange juxtaposition, Peter. I'm still getting used to it."

Peter smirked at his aunt before adding, "Me too!"

May looked surprised for a moment. Then she nodded her head seeming to understand what he meant.

"Well, I think I've had enough of the Spider-Man side of you today," She said suddenly. "How about we stuff the rest of this food down and watch one of those movies together in your room before bed? I think we'll have to stay another night so that we can talk to Tony in the morning."

Peter gave her a huge smile, "Sweet! That sounds great."

"FRIDAY!" May called, surprising Peter with how comfortable she was becoming with these surroundings.

"How can I help you, Mrs. Parker?" the AI asked.

"Could you please inform Mr. Stark that Peter and I would like to talk with him in the morning?" she asked.

"Ms. Potts has time blocked off part of his morning schedule, and Mr. Stark is not to be disturbed until after 10:00 AM. Shall I inquire about a brunch meeting?" FRIDAY's voice was clear and smooth.

"Hmm…. that should be fine. Thank you, FRIDAY!" May finished.

"10:00 A.M.," Peter commented. "Looks like you can sleep in some more, Aunt May," he teased.

May gave him a look. "Watch it! You try getting a good night of sleep after learning that there are people who want to fight your kid because of his super-spider abilities or whatever."

Peter winced and looked guilty. "God, May. I'm sorry. I…"

"I'm giving you a hard time, kiddo. I'll sleep better now that we are putting a plan in place," she soothed.

"ok…" Peter looked doubtful.

May changed the subject. "Come on. Let's clean this up and go pick a movie!"

Peter gave a smile and nodded in agreement.

They spent the rest of the time working together to clean up without much talking. As they cleaned up, FRIDAY confirmed the mid-morning meeting with Mr. Stark. They went back to his room where Peter excitedly chose a film called "ALIENS." May didn't really care what movie they watched. She just needed this time with Peter, with her kid. They sat together on the sofa in his massive room. Peter put his arm around his aunt, and she snuggled close to her nephew. This was her kid, and she would soak up these moments. The moments when he was just Peter. The moments when she knew he was safe with her.

The following morning, May and Peter joined both Tony and Pepper for brunch. Tony agreed that their plan was a good one, and Pepper made a note to create credentials for Peter as an official intern with access to the compound.

May didn't miss the fond look that Tony gave to Peter upon hearing that he would be spending more time at the compound.

"I can't promise that I'll be here every time," Tony added. "Either Vision or Rhodes should be available while you're here though, kid." They didn't even need to ask if May could join him.

Pepper was quick to assure her that the same room could be available for her any time she wished to join Peter at the compound.

They all had a pleasant brunch together. They kept the conversation light and discussed plans for what would be Peter and May's next visit over his winter/holiday break. Both Peter and May would come up to the compound the day after Christmas and stay through New Year's. Tony also insisted that Happy would pick them up so that May didn't need to drive.

"My 16th birthday is over Spring Break," Peter added with excitement.

"Oh Hoh! Really?" Tony asked with interest. Pepper gave him a look. "We may just have to throw us a little shindig!" Tony added.

"That's not…" May started but stopped when she looked at Peter. He seemed interested in the idea. "Well…we have time to figure that out. Thank you, Tony."

He nodded at May.

Peter spoke next, "No offence, Mr. Stark. I appreciate everything you've done for us this weekend…" he looked at his aunt, "…but I think we should get going. I have a history quiz tomorrow, and I need to finish a paper for my English class. Plus, there's Spanish homework and a science thing to finish…" He trailed off and looked at the adults who were staring back at him.

Tony gave a laugh, "This kid! So worried about his homework all this time!" He offered Peter a wink, "No offense taken, kid. You have to keep your cover as Peter Parker, and he's a good student!"

"He better be!" May added. "The moment your grades start dropping, the less time you'll get in that suit!"

"That reminds me," Tony said. "Happy brought that expensive piece of spidey-wear back to you, right?"

May nodded her head. "Yes. It's in _my bag_ to go home."

"Good. If your bags are packed, we'll have someone load up your car and bring it around," Pepper suggested.

"Yeah, we packed before brunch," Peter confirmed.

"Happy!" Tony called.

"Yeah boss?" the man asked stepping forward from the shadows.

"Take care of that for me, will you?" He said knowing that Happy heard that part of the conversation.

"Sure." Happy said with a small frown.

A short time later, Peter and May were getting in the car and bidding farewell to Tony and Pepper. Peter was anxious to get home, so it didn't take them long to get on the road. Peter noticed that it was a little after noon when they left the compound. He gave a sigh knowing that he would probably be up late in order to finish his schoolwork.

He looked over at his aunt. She had a relaxed look on her face as she drove, and Peter was thankful.

"Thank you, Aunt May," he said to her.

She looked at him for a moment. She didn't need to ask as she knew that he appreciated her understanding with everything that was happening.

"I'm here for you, Peter." She said, "Always."

They shared a smile before their attention was back on the road ahead.

May heard the sound of plastic next to her and turned to see Peter taking a muffin out of a plastic bag. She raised her eyebrows at him from the driver's seat.

Peter took a bite, "What?" he asked with crumbs dropping from his lips. "I took one for the road. Literally."

May shook her head and laughed. "Fast metabolism…" she noted. Then she gave a playful frown, "I'm just a little hurt that you didn't grab one for me."

Peter smiled and held up a second plastic bag containing a muffin for his aunt. She laughed out loud. Peter noticed it was a genuine and hearty laugh; one that he hadn't heard in quite a while.

She shook her head with a smile, "You eat it. I don't think I'll be able to eat until dinner. That brunch was huge!"

Peter shrugged at his aunt and had more to eat. He sighed contentedly from the passenger seat.

 _"We're going to be ok,"_ he thought. _"Everything will be ok."_

He stared out the front window as they went along. If he had looked out his own window, he might have noticed the ominous clouds forming in the distance. The rain itself wouldn't be a problem, but it did represent the danger always lurking in the background.

 **A/N: I don't actually know when Peter's birthday takes place. However, his birthday over spring break will be an important part later in the story. Stay tuned, friends. Things are about to get interesting! The timeline is going to jump forward in the next few chapters, so get ready for things to speed up a little. Feel free to leave a review and share your thoughts. Any guesses as to how or when Ross might figure things out?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Phew! I thought this would be short, but it is the longest chapter yet! I want to give a special thanks to Phoenixhp5 for inspiring me to add the opening scene with Tony and Pepper!**

 **The characters still don't belong to me.**

Chapter 9: A Familiar Routine

Tony and Pepper stood outside of the compound and watched as May and Peter drove away. This weekend certainly had not gone according to plan, but Tony personally felt like it was really much better than he planned.

"It looks like you're going to get to do right by the kid after all," Pepper commented, referring back to the conversation they had the night before.

Tony gave her a smile before putting his arm around her shoulder and guiding her back inside. "Yeah, their plan couldn't have been better. It was as if I came up with it or something."

They made their way to elevator, and Tony thought back to his conversation with Pepper the previous evening:

 _"Tony, this isn't helping us get our planning done," Pepper complained. Tony would have felt bad if it weren't for the amused smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes._

 _He had met her upstairs right around 4 o'clock like he promised; however, Tony was spending most of their time talking about his day with Peter._

 _"Seriously, hon! Pete was great today. I couldn't believe how quickly he got to work in the lab. You would've thought he'd been working in there and using the equipment for weeks!" Tony praised._

 _They had been talking about Peter Parker over dinner, and they had finished their meal a short time ago. Some people from the kitchen were clearing the last dishes from the table. Pepper took advantage of the empty table space next to her and placed her elbow on the table, leaned her head in her hand, and watched Tony pace as he spoke. She knew she would have to let him get this out of his system if she was ever going to get a chance to talk to him about the wedding._

 _Suddenly, Tony stopped pacing and looked at Pepper with a dumbfounded expression. "Oh God, Pepper. How did this happen?!"_

 _She raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders slightly, but her head never left her hand as she spoke, "How did what happen, Tony?"_

 _"How did we get here? How did that kid manage to…I don't know…" He looked to Pepper for help in finishing that thought, but she stayed quiet, "…how is it that I LIKE him so much?" He threw his hands in the air as he spoke the last words._

 _Pepper removed her head from her hand and stood up. She walked over to Tony and put her arms around his neck. She gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before looking him square in the eye, "You've lowered some of your walls over the years, Tony. You're letting people in…that's a good thing." She raised her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. "There's nothing wrong with letting people get close."_

 _He gently pulled her hands away and took a step back, shaking his head slightly. "I've let you close, and that is and has proved to be a good thing," he said before adding, "but not everyone wants to stay close once they get to know me. Either that or they turn out to be a major disappointment."_

 _Tony didn't have to elaborate on that with Pepper. She knew he was talking about the Avengers that turned their back on him with the signing of the Accords. But even more, he was referring to the disappointment that was the fall out with Steve Rogers._

 _"It's not easy opening up your heart to people," Pepper agreed. "Sometimes we get hurt." She reached forward and lifted his chin so that he was looking at her again. "But sometimes…at the best of times, we find love."_

 _Tony gave her a look at the use of the word "love," but she continued before he could protest._

 _"You know what I mean, Tony. There are different kinds of love; even friendship and brotherhood are a form of love. You can't find that if you don't at least try to let people get close, and I'm happy to say that you are…" she thought a second, "…putting your self out there, so to speak."_

 _Tony nodded his head before smiling again. "You know what I think it is?" he said, raising a pointer finger in the air and shaking it as if to make a point. "If I were to design the perfect mini-me, I think he would look a lot like Peter…or act like him at least." He now waved his hand in front him, "I won't say he's smarter than me…"_

 _Pepper suppressed the urge to laugh, but Tony noticed it none the less._

 _"…but he does impress me," he went on. "Sure, I had to show him some things, but he naturally has all the tools he needs, both as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. With the right guidance and support, Pete can be unstoppable." He gave a laugh and added, "With that heart of his, he can be an unstoppable force for good."_

 _Pepper smiled and decided to sit down again. She knew he wasn't finished._

 _"I guess that's why I saw him as an asset to the team." He frowned now and took a seat of his own not far from Pepper. "I saw that footage of some guy in a onesie stopping a moving car with his bare hands, and I knew I had to meet him. I just never expected to find a kid, especially one with a good head on his shoulders. It seemed like the perfect solution. It was like he would easily see that I was right, and Cap was wrong. I'd simply have him help me bring the traitor in and leave him with new gear for his troubles. It should have been so easy, right?" He looked up and saw the truth in Pepper's eyes. Of course things were never that easy._

 _Tony sighed, "I should've been more careful when taking him to Germany. I'm a tech guy, Pep! I should've cut the security cameras that would capture us all on the tarmac at that airport. I read the Accords; I should've known Ross would want the new guy to be accountable!"_

 _Pepper leaned forward and asked, "Just how does Ross figure that he broke the Accords? He wasn't an Avenger."_

 _"That's not how Ross sees it." Tony scrubbed his hands over his face before adding, "The Accords are clear. No enhanced individuals are authorized to cross international boundaries at any time they wish. Since I had Ross' permission to go after Rogers and Barnes, I stupidly believed I could bring anyone else with me." Tony shook his head at his own foolishness, "Plus that business with the plane…the Accords indicate that any enhanced individual that is deemed a threat to the general public may be detained indefinitely without trial! Ross thinks Spider-Man put people in danger by stopping the plane the way that he did!"_

 _Pepper nodded her head in understanding, and she couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought of poor Peter being locked away indefinitely._

 _"God, he was only trying to impress me," Tony admitted. "And I had rewarded him by taking away the one piece of equipment that could keep him safe as he tried."_

 _"Tony…" Pepper soothed, "You can't expect to be perfect. Ask any parent or guardian and you'll learn that kids don't come with an instruction manual, especially super-human ones. It's hard to know what the right call is going to be, and hindsight is always 20/20."_

 _"I need to make this right, Pepper," Tony said with determination. "One way or another, I will find a way to do right by that kid."_

 _FRIDAYs voice suddenly filled the room, "Excuse me, sir. Mrs. Parker and Peter are requesting a meeting with you in the morning. Ms. Potts has your schedule free after 10:00 A.M. Would brunch be agreeable?"_

 _Pepper gave him a sheepish smile, "I had a feeling we might not make progress tonight, so I left us some time in the morning as well," Pepper explained._

 _Tony smiled at her before answering his AI. "Yes. You can go ahead and confirm the brunch FRIDAY."_

 _"Very good, sir," FRIDAY replied._

 _"Tony, that reminds me," Pepper began. "I know you want to make things right and be there for Peter, but we will need to respect May's wishes. She is Peter's legal guardian. We need to hear her out in the morning. If you want a chance with the kid, you are going to need to earn a little trust from May."_

 _"Of course!" Tony smiled and gave a cocky grin, "I'll be on her good side in no time!"_

Shaking his head at the memory, Tony set off to finish his weekend with Pepper. He briefly found himself wondering if she would be willing to discuss plans for Peter's next visit, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He owed Pepper some time free of any talk about Spider-Man.

* * *

Back in Queens, Peter was anxious to get back into his routine. On Monday, Peter filled Ned in on every detail of his visit upstate. Ned listened with a great deal of fascination and asked Peter not to leave out anything interesting about the Avenger's facility and all of its amenities. Peter had his phone back, but May held firm about keeping his suit under lock and key. If Peter was honest, he had no idea where she even had it hidden away. He did, however, use his phone to send messages and updates to Tony.

After school, Peter found a private place to fill in Ned on some of the scarier details relating to Ross. He begged his friend to be even more careful with his identity. To his credit, Ned looked genuinely concerned and swore to Peter to be more careful in the future.

As time moved forward, Peter was surprised at how easy it was to focus on school during the day and answering May's questions at home. Being grounded wasn't so bad. He thought for sure that he would miss his patrol time, but it didn't seem to be as important as helping May adjust. What May did not know was that Peter kept his old web-shooters and mask in his backpack (in case of emergency, of course). Thankfully, he hadn't needed them.

Peter was becoming so accustomed to this new routine that he didn't even notice that the two weeks were over until May came into his room with the red and blue suit.

"It's been exactly two weeks since I stood in this doorway and saw you in this thing," May said while holding the equipment out in front of her for Peter.

Peter carefully took the suit from her hands but remained quiet.

"I have to admit, Peter," May continued, "You've taken your punishment in stride, and you've kept to your end of the deal. I appreciate that more than you know, and that is why I need to stick to my end of the bargain." She took a deep breath, "Here is where our agreement with Tony truly begins. Tomorrow, you go to school as usual. When the day is over, you may return to the streets with your webs and the suit. However, you are to focus only on things that will help you to improve your abilities."

Peter nodded his head in agreement, "I understand, Aunt May."

"Peter, you cannot take any unnecessary chances. You heard what Tony said…Ross is looking for signs of Spider-Man," She reminded him.

"I know, May." Peter looked thoughtful for a moment. "I learned a lot the past two weeks, too. I was thinking about it. I think I took so many of the risks I did because I wanted to get Tony's attention and impress him."

May offered a sympathetic and understanding smile. _"He really wants a father-figure in his life,"_ she thought. _"If only it didn't have to be Tony Stark!"_

"I promise to stick to the small stuff. Honestly, I am mostly interested in practicing what Tony mentioned about becoming more instinctual with my web-shooters so that I can also be aware of what my enhanced senses are picking up. I think that's going to be the most important thing."

May nodded, "It's settled then. Just promise you won't be home too late tomorrow, ok? I know tomorrow if Friday, but it would help me to know you won't gone too long."

"I'll be home by 10:00," Peter tried.

"You'll be home by 8:00," May corrected.

"How about 9:00?" Peter asked hopefully.

May closed her eyes and took a breath, "ok…but that means that you are home at 9:00 P.M. sharp and not one minute later!"

"It's a deal!" Peter agreed. He put the suit down and stepped forward to give his aunt a hug. "Love you, May!"

"I love you, too!" She whispered back.

* * *

The next morning, Peter had his suit in his backpack, and he was excited about the day ahead.

He was heading out the door when May called to him, "Please be careful! 9:00 o'clock, Peter!"

"You got it, May!" Peter called back.

Peter grabbed a breakfast burrito on his way to school (his second breakfast of the day). Upon arrival, he motioned Ned to join him by his locker. After looking around carefully, Peter showed him the inside of his bag.

"Dude!" Ned said, "You got it back?"

"It's been two weeks," Peter smiled.

"Are you going out today?" Ned asked.

Peter wagged his eyebrows at him, "What do you think?" he asked. Seeing his friends excited smile, he added, "I just need to be home by 9:00. I'll probably try to get there sooner, though. I don't want to give May a heart attack with my first day back out there."

"Badass…" Ned mused, "So what will you do?" He lowered his voice and added, "Will you go looking for more of those weapons?"

"No," Peter answered. "I need to lay low, remember? I'm mostly going to be taking care of small stuff, staying below the radar, and doing some training exercises with my webs."

Ned was looking at Peter with wide-eyed fascination, before asking, "Can I come?"

Peter rolled his eyes and laughed, "Dude! How would you come? You plan on trying to web-along behind me with my old web-shooters or something?" he joked (keeping his voice low).

"Can I do that?" Ned asked.

"What? No, Ned! You'd kill yourself. It's much more dangerous than it looks, and I'm uniquely equipped to maneuver around the way that I do," Peter reminded him, referring to his enhanced abilities.

"Ok, ok! I guess I knew that was a long shot." They walked a little further before Ned asked, "What if I just walked along with you and waited to see you change into the suit?"

"Ew, Ned! We talked about this. It's creepy to have someone see me change. Ideally, that is done without an audience!" Peter replied.

Ned thought for a moment, "I don't mean that I would, like, watch you. I could just stand guard somewhere as you got into the suit! I can warn you if anyone is coming…give you a signal!" He spoke quickly and with a great deal of excitement.

Peter was about to turn him down, but then thought better of it. "Maybe you're on to something, Ned."

His friend smiled.

"I've lost my backpack too many times, and it is always a risk changing. It's not like I can change at home all the time because that's too risky. People would connect me to May." Peter concentrated, "Maybe you can help me scope out good places to change and stand guard like you suggested. Then you can grab my bag and keep it safe. I'll have my phone, so I can contact you when I'm done. We could set a meeting place, and you can bring my bag back to me," Peter suggested. "Is that ok, or is that asking too much?"

Ned looked ridiculously excited. "Are you kidding? That's amazing! I would be like your assistant; the guy in the chair that doesn't need the chair!"

Peter smiled at his friend. He couldn't help but think that Tony would be proud of this plan. Surely it would help him to minimize the possibility of getting caught taking his mask off.

"It's settled then. We'll discuss some spots over lunch, and then go out together after school."

"It will be an honor, Spider-Man," Ned slapped a hand to his mouth before whispering an apology.

Peter just shook his head. They were the last ones in the hallway, so they were safe. _Wait…empty hallway?_ Peter took a hold of Ned's arm and quickly pulled him into their next class just as the bell rang.

* * *

It was after school, and Ned and Peter were already standing by an empty alleyway together.

"Ok," Peter said, "What do you say if you see someone else walking towards the alley?"

Ned answered, "I'll be all loud and like…HEY MAN THAT'S MY CHURRO!"

Peter nodded, "Good, yeah…" he started into the alley, only for Ned to pull him back.

"Wait, could you like come out and give me a shout-out or something?" Ned asked. "Maybe I could record it on my phone, and you could be all like 'Hey Ned! Good to see you! Cool Shirt!' or something?"

"What? Come on, man," Peter rolled his eyes. "That is a bad idea. It's best if we don't draw too much attention. No recording! I'm laying low, remember? Plus, it may be better if I'm not obviously connected to you right now."

"Fine…" Ned agreed with some disappointment.

"Look," Peter said. "No phone and I'll give you a salute or something as I take off down the street."

"Awesome!" Ned said eagerly.

"Great," Peter said impatiently (he really was ready to get back into his suit now). "Please don't forget my bag. I'll text you a location when I'm done."

Ned smiled and nodded as Peter entered the dark alley, then he made his way to the corner to keep an eye out for anyone. Ned wasn't waiting long before he heard a "Pfffft" sound over his head and a "woohoo" from his friend. True to his word, Peter gave him a salute with one hand while shooting out a web with the other. Ned stared with his mouth agape and watched as Peter disappeared around a corner down the street.

 _"I still can't believe my best friend is Spider-Man,"_ Ned thought to himself. He continued to look in the direction in which Peter took off for a minute before turning to recover Peter's personal items from the alley. It was a little awkward carrying two bags, but Ned was happy to help. He made his way home to wait for further instructions. "Guy with the bag!" Ned mused as he began to head home.

Already blocks away, Peter was elated to be swinging around on his webs again. Making his way around the buildings and skyscrapers felt like pure freedom! Peter probably spent over an hour just having fun with his webs and getting comfortable with some of the web combinations and settings. He stopped on a rooftop to catch his breath and look around a little. He decided to do some flips and practice some wall-crawling and balancing exercises. After a while, he jumped down to the street by a food truck selling pulled-pork tacos. The vendor looked surprised to see him, but shrugged it off and asked for his order. Peter was about to pay for his food when the man told him it was on the house. Apparently, Spider-Man had helped his nephew get his bike back. Peter thanked the man, but couldn't leave him with nothing and decided to put a big tip in his jar. With his taco in one hand, Peter used the other hand to shoot a web and pull himself back up.

Not too far away, Peter found an empty fire escape. He pulled his mask up far enough to eat his meal. It was delicious, and it was exactly what he needed before starting his next task. Pulling his mask back on all the way, Peter took off with his webs once again. This time, Peter tried focusing less on where the webs were going or using fancy maneuvers. He decided to really try focusing on his enhanced hearing. As he moved around, he tried to isolate and identify different sounds. Before long, he was able to distinguish between sirens and alarms, car horns and door bells, friendly banter and arguments. Next, he tried to listen for very specific things. Not long into this exercise, he started listening for voices that sounded distressed. He heard what sounded like a little boy crying for his mom and stopped to look around. He was sticking to the side of a building when he spotted him. From his perch, he saw the kid crying on one side of the road and his mother frantically looking for him on the other. He didn't know how they were separated, but he decided it wouldn't hurt to help out on this one.

Peter shot a web and swung down to the street beside the boy. "Hey, buddy!" he said as he landed.

The boy looked startled for a moment before saying, "You're the Spider-Man!" Peter didn't miss the look of admiration in the child's eyes.

"Yes, I am. What's your name?" Peter asked.

"Miguel," the boy answered, then sniffed, "I can't find my mom."

"Don't worry, pal. I could see her just across the street ahead of us. I'll help you." Peter held of his hand and the young boy took it with complete trust.

They took a step before Miguel asked, "We're walking?" he said confused. "Can you swing me to my mom?" he added hopefully.

Peter looked around. There were a lot of cars, and there were a number of people pushing their way along the sidewalk. Peter momentarily wondered how more people didn't stop to pay them any attention, but he supposed the people of New York were becoming desensitized to seeing something as strange as a guy in red and blue spandex.

"I guess that would be quicker," Peter agreed. "Ok…" He bent down towards Miguel (who was smiling ear to ear), "put your arms around my neck and hold on tight."

The boy did as he was told, and Peter shot a web up when he was sure that Miguel was secure. Peter kept one arm around him as he used the other to hold onto the webbing and swing to the other side of the road. They landed not too far from his mom, and she turned the moment she heard something plop down on the sidewalk.

"Mommy!" Miguel yelled as he let go of Peter and took off running to her side.

"Oh, Miguel!" She cried. "I told you to be more careful about walking away from me."

"I'm sorry. I thought you were with me in the group of people that crossed the street," Miguel put his head down, and Peter noticed that he was embarrassed to be scolded with his hero nearby.

"Spider-Man helped me find you, Mommy!" Miguel squealed with delight.

His mother looked up and gave Peter a grateful smile, "Thank you, sir. I couldn't see where he went!"

"No worries, mam," Peter said giving her a small salute.

He didn't wait to hear if she said anything else. He shot another web and was back up and moving along in no time. Peter felt happy that he was able to help someone, and he decided to try listening again. Helping people with those things seemed perfectly harmless, and Peter was eager to see if anyone else might need his assistance. After going a few more blocks, Peter felt a chill go down his spine as he heard a familiar voice in distress.

"No! Please! You can't take that!" She screamed.

"Oh No!" Peter realized. "It's MJ!" Again, Peter stopped by sticking to the side of building and looking around.

He spotted her another block away, trying desperately to hold onto her purse as a man was trying to roughly pull it away. Worried for her safety, Peter took off quickly in her direction.

"Hey, Man!" Peter yelled as he landed near the two. "That bag does not go with your outfit! Hands off!" He shot a web onto his forehead with one hand, and he used the other hand to shoot a web onto his chest. The guy instinctively reached towards the webbing on his head, letting go of MJ's bag. She took a step back, clutching it close to her side and watched Spider-Man pull the man away with a yank at the web attached to his chest.

"Aghh!" the purse-snatcher yelled as he was yanked forward by Peter.

When he was closer to him, Peter said, "Dude! Man-purses are so uncool!" He pushed the man over to a nearby wall and shot two more webs quickly securing each hand to the wall behind him.

"Hey!" the guy yelled, "Let me outta here…mmmph!" Peter shot another web over his mouth to shut him up.

He moved over to his friend and quickly pulled her over to an empty side street and away from the bad-guy. "Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

"Thanks, Peter!" she breathed with a sigh of relief. "I was just at the ATM getting grocery money for my parents. Things are tight right now, and there was no way we can afford to lose this money!" A funny look crossed her face and she looked up towards Spider-Man.

"It's no problem, I'm glad I could hel…help." Peter's voice trailed off as he softly finished that sentence. _"Did she just say Peter, or did I imagine that part?"_

He looked to her face to find her studying him, as if trying to look beyond the mask.

The eyes of his mask had gone wide as he stared back at her. "Ahem…uhh…what? Erm…Did you say something, miss? I thought I heard you say a name or something. Was it Patrick?" He tried using the same accent from DC, but it sounded more like a strange combination of a British and Brooklyn accent.

MJ raised an eyebrow at him and put a hand on her hip. She looked around carefully before she spoke again. "Do you think I'm stupid, Parker?"

He didn't answer. This was dangerous. He quickly snatched her around the waist and shot a web up the side of the building next to them. MJ only gave a slight squeal of surprise as Peter lifted them off the ground. Peter took them up to the roof and looked around carefully.

"You should call the police and tell them that Spider-Man stopped and secured a purse snatcher at the corner of…umm…" he looked over the side, "75th Avenue and 169th Street."

She nodded and took out her phone. While she was one the phone, Peter paced back and forth. He was trying to think of what to do next.

MJ ended the call and said, "The police are on the way. I told them that I was just a witness."

Peter could already hear the sirens. "We should get farther away," he said, snatching her once again.

"Wait!" was all she got out before Peter was moving them over to another spot, putting some distance between them and the police.

Once safely on another roof, MJ caught her breath and scolded him. "Stop that! I'm not a huge fan of heights. Why do think I really stayed on the ground in DC?"

Peter didn't answer, and he chose to instead to interact with his AI, "KAREN scan the area for cameras. Let me know if any of them have a view of this roof."

MJ cocked her head but chose to wait patiently for an explanation. However, she didn't look at all amused.

"You're all clear, Peter." KAREN replied.

Peter turned back to MJ. He took a few steps in her direction and slowly removed his mask.

Despite using his name, MJ somehow still looked surprised to see his face. She quickly pushed away her surprise and tried to look at him as if unfazed. "Well, I've had my suspicions for a long time now, but it's weird to see them confirmed." She looked him up and down. "Not bad, Peter." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What? Seriously? What do you mean you were suspicious? How long have you…" He didn't finish his question. Instead he threw up his hands, deciding she understood what he was asking.

"Come on, Peter. I'm very observant, remember?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Honestly, I can't believe anyone else missed this!"

Peter still looked confused, so she continued.

"What was it? Like, a year ago when you were tripping over your feet and wearing those huge glasses? You could hardly manage in gym glass, and you were always fighting a cold or something!"

Peter looked uncomfortable.

"You might have been invisible to everyone else, but I notice everyone. I saw you then…a struggling kid, flash's favorite target. Then we had that field trip and you started looking all pale and acting weird. No one else noticed, but I did! You were sick the next day, but when you came back…"

Peter remembered that day. He had changed drastically, but the kids at school seemed to brush it off as Parker finally "blooming" or reaching puberty or something. Apparently, MJ was never fooled. Even Ned had shrugged it off then.

MJ continued and started listing her evidence and observations faster, pacing as she talked, "You came back looking healthier than ever before. No glasses, tighter shirt, no pimples, steady on your feet! It was crazy! Then…everything happened with your uncle, so I left it alone. You started disappearing, which I tossed aside as grief. But then this guy starts popping up around town and stopping petty crimes. He popped up when you were MIA. The pattern only increased. Then, I see "Spider-Man" alongside the Avengers in Germany at the same time when you started your Stark Internship! It should be obvious, right? I can't believe everyone else is so stupid! Don't even get me started on DC or Homecoming!" She stopped pacing and turned to look at Peter.

His mouth was hanging open. She was right. It should've been obvious. Yet, no one would expect the nerdy kid to be a superhero. No one except the very observant Michelle Jones. _"Oh my God, I hope Ross doesn't put that together."_ Peter pushed that aside as unlikely since that man wasn't a student at Midtown Tech.

"Ned knows, right?" She asked knowingly. "I'm surprised no one else has noticed your hushed conversations. I mean, what is it with our generation? You're lucky the other kids are so obsessed with their phones; it keeps them from observing the world around them. I fight that, though. I prefer to keep an eye the real world as opposed to the virtual one on my phone." She pointed towards Peter. "Clearly my powers of observation paid off." She gave him a hard look. "Why am I the only one talking?"

Peter rubbed his gloved hands over his face before finally speaking, "MJ…this is…I mean…I'm supposed to be more careful. I thought I was! This is very dangerous! I am supposed to be keeping a low profile right now!"

She looked pointedly at his suit but didn't speak.

Peter noticed, "This is for training purposes. I promised Mr. Stark I wouldn't get involved in anything too big and attract attention. A purse snatching wouldn't normally be a big deal, and it was you! I couldn't just keep going and ignore it!" He blew out a breath. "You CANNOT tell anyone. It's hard enough for Ned, but he knows to be especially careful right now!"

"Slow down, Peter!" MJ stopped him. She stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, "I never said a word once to you before. I don't intend to make a big deal of it now." She quickly removed her hand and stepped back, looking at him, "I'm really not the type to make a big deal of anything…in case you haven't noticed."

He gave a small laugh without any real humor, "I noticed."

She continued, looking at him with her eyes squinted, "Out of curiosity, what's the big deal all of a sudden? Ned practically gave you away before Homecoming. I mean…come on… 'Peter knows Spider-Man'" she mimicked Ned's voice from that day in gym class.

"I'm in trouble, MJ," he admitted to her. "After what happened in Germany and with Liz's dad, I'm being accused of violating the Accords! Spider-Man is an enhanced individual, and Secretary Ross wants my identity in order to make me sign! It would be the end of my life as I know it! Nothing would be the same! Please understand…I can't sign!" He gave her a pleading look, hoping she would understand.

"Dude! The government does not have a good track record when it comes to 'arrangements' with people in the minority, enhanced or otherwise. You don't need to explain it to me. The Accords are bullshit." She stated simply.

"Huh…ok." Peter said, only mildly surprised at her response. He supposed he should have expected that from her.

They looked at each other for a few moments.

MJ shook her head finally, "This is wild, and the uniform raises some questions. I have many questions, actually. However, I really need to get back home. My parents will be worried."

Peter's eyes went wide, and he pulled out his phone. It was already 8:00 o'clock. He shot a quick text to Ned…

 **Peter : Meet me behind MJs house in 30 minutes.**

 **Ned : Is that a good idea? She might see us, dude!**

 **Peter : Just do it! I'll explain later.**

 **Ned : Ok. See you in 30 mins**

"So, are you going to help me down? I'm not using that rusty fire escape, Parker!" MJ scolded impatiently.

Peter tucked his phone away and pulled his mask back on. "Let's get you home. Put your arms around my neck and hold on tight," he said as he guided her closer to the side of the building.

She reluctantly agreed, and Peter was shooting his webs to navigate them both towards her house. MJ had a tight grip around his neck and even wrapped her legs around his waist for extra security, hugging him tightly. They weren't too far from her house, and Peter decided that this was the fastest way to get her home. He carefully lowered them down in the alley behind her building.

MJ was still holding onto him tightly. Peter cleared his throat, "Ahem…we're uh…we're here. You can let go now."

MJ had her eyes closed, but slowly opened them to take in her surroundings. Recognizing solid ground beneath them, MJ quickly let go and stepped away, embarrassed that she had been holding on to him like that.

"I'll go up on the building and keep an eye on you as you go inside. No one else will bother you tonight."

She smirked at him, "Thanks for your assistance, Spider-Man." She turned to walk away, and Peter started to climb the wall. She called back to him, "Oh! I intend to have a further inquiry with you later!" She continued towards the front and Peter got up and crawled where he could see her safely inside.

Once she was in the building, Peter held onto the wall so that it was behind his back and slammed his head on it. "Ugh! This is bad. I'm going to have to report this to Mr. Stark. KAREN, what time is it?" he asked as he turned to climb the rest of the way to the roof.

"It is 8:16 P.M." KAREN answered, "Your friend should be expected to arrive around 8:32 P.M., judging by the time you sent your last message to him."

Peter sighed, he had time to text Tony before Ned arrived. While he used his phone, the messages were sent securely through KAREN and never stayed on his device. Tony's responses were usually vague so that no one could guess that Peter was not just an annoying intern.

 **Peter : Successful day back in suit. Lots of practice. Made progress. Helped a lost kid find his mom. Stopped a purse snatcher. Ran into a girl from school. Apparently, she's known my secret all along. Plans to continue to keep it. Thought you should know. Sorry.**

 **T. Stark : We will need to talk more at the office. **

Peter sighed. He knew that meant that Tony would call him over a secure line later.

He didn't have to wait much longer for Ned. His friend was walking quickly down the street.

 **Peter : Walk behind the building and drop my bag. Wait for me at the corner.**

 **Ned : Ok**

Peter watched as Ned followed his instructions. Once Ned was stationed at the corner, Peter jumped down and quickly shed the suit and stuffed it in his bag before putting his own clothes back on. He met Ned at the corner.

"Thanks, Ned!" He said, making his friend jump slightly.

"Dude, what is going on? Why did we meet here?" He asked. Ned looked up to see MJ at her window, looking out at them. She waved down before giving them the finger with a smirk and closing her blinds.

Peter shrugged at his friend, "It's a long story. Walk with me to my house and I'll tell you everything."

"I'll text my mom and tell her I'm staying at your house tonight." Ned didn't need to ask if Peter was ok with it since this was something fairly normal for them.

Peter nodded, "I'm going to let May know we'll both be there around 9:00. I just hope we aren't a minute late, or she will kill me!"

The two friends made their way back to Peter's apartment. Peter was filling in Ned along the way.

Peter paused in his story, and Ned seemed content to let him sort through his thoughts a bit. Peter felt like it was important to keep May and Tony informed about everyone who knew his secret. It was just too bad that he was forgetting to warn them about someone else.


	10. Chapter 10

**Marvel owns these fine folks**

 **A/N: This is much longer than I thought it would be, so I decided to break it into 2 parts. Don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts!**

Chapter 10: Winter Break, Part 1

Time surged forward quickly. Peter was pleasantly surprised by how MJ handled his secret. She was a really good ally, especially since she helped to keep Ned in check. Anytime Ned started to even get a funny look on his face, MJ was ready to perform any necessary damage control. It was a huge weight off Peter's shoulders. MJ even started to take turns with Ned as far as helping to keep his belongings off the street and out of the wrong hands. After the last incident with MJ, Peter started going out in shorter increments on most days. He always chose about 2 days a week when he would spend a longer time patrolling the neighborhood, and he altered the days to avoid a recognizable pattern. Most school nights, he finished his training by 5:00 P.M., so he would meet either Ned or MJ behind a restaurant to get food for dinner. Occasionally, both of his friends were there to meet him and listen to the stories about the day's adventures. Most of the time, they opted for take-out and took it back to the apartment to eat with May. Then, they would go to Peter's room to work on homework. If they weren't at his apartment, Peter would end up doing homework at one of his friend's houses. He enjoyed the routine, and both May and Tony approved of the way Peter was balancing his schedule. Things were finally looking up, and Tony told May that he hadn't heard anything from Ross. Life was comfortable, and Peter couldn't wait to spend his winter break back with Tony upstate.

He only had to wait a couple more weeks. It was early December, and Peter was finishing one of his shorter rounds. He planned to meet both of his friends that evening behind one of their favorite pizza places. MJ texted that she had already ordered a couple of pizzas to take back and eat with May. Peter was feeling super confident with his web combinations. Utilizing the different settings was second-nature to him now, and he was able to focus on hearing and seeing more of the happenings in the city below. It had been a quiet patrol; he returned a lost dog, stopped a grand theft bicycle, and helped an older lady with a walker cross a busy intersection. Life was good as the "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."

As Peter made his way towards the pizza place, he could already see Ned (all bundled up) standing by the corner. It was getting really cold in the city, and Peter was almost sure that he heard Ned's teeth chattering with his enhanced hearing. Peter saluted his friend and made his way into the alley. It didn't take Peter long to change and meet Ned at the corner.

"Ready, dude?" He asked Ned. "Ned?" he said again when he didn't get a response. "You ready to go inside?"

"Frr…Frr-ozen." Ned chattered back. "I'm-I…uh…d-don't think I can m-move."

Peter laughed at him, "Come on, let's get you inside" he said, tugging on his friend's arm to get him moving.

They found MJ inside the pizza shop paying for their dinner.

"N-next t-t-time you w-wait in the cold!" Ned snapped at her.

She rolled her eyes, "Don't be such a sissy, Ned. Here…" she handed him the pizzas to carry. "…these will keep you warm as we walk back."

"Ahh…" he sighed as he felt the warm boxes on his cold hands. "Thanks, MJ." He followed them back outside and watched the other two share a sly smile. "Hey! Wait! You're not going to make me carry these the whole way, are you? Um…guys?"

He watched as the other two kept laughing to themselves and walked side-by-side ahead of him. They joked playfully, and Ned didn't miss the way MJ's shoulder brushed against Peter's. If he didn't know any better, he would think that they were crushing on one another. _"Nah…"_ he thought to himself.

"It is pretty cold out here," MJ commented as she stuck her hands deep into her pockets. "Don't you get cold in that…" she coughed, "…that work uniform of yours?" She nodded her head towards the suit that was now tucked back into his school bag.

"Nope." Peter said easily. "Mr. Stark put a heater in the suit."

"Of course, he did," MJ stated, managing to sound less than impressed.

"I don't really need it when I'm swinging around, though." He added. "But it does come in handy sometimes." He smiled to himself recalling the first time he used it after being dropped in the cold lake.

"Maybe Mr. Stark can make me a jacket with a heater?" Ned remarked. "I'm not sure I can wait for you too long if it gets much colder. What if it snows or something?"

"I doubt May will want me out in the bad weather, Ned" he answered.

They made it back to the apartment and were all relieved to get inside the building where it was warm. They entered the apartment to find May setting the table for four.

"There you are!" May greeted the trio. "Ned, I have the oven on warm. Why don't you stick those in there to warm up a little?"

He did as May suggested, and they all went into Peter's room to put down their belongings and take off their coats.

May loved nights like this. She was so happy that Peter could be 100% himself with his friends. Plus, it helped her to have someone to talk to about Peter's secret. _"Well, someone other than Tony Stark,"_ she thought. It didn't matter that they were teenagers. MJ especially was wiser than her years.

She smiled upon taking another look at the young girl. She had her hair in a pretty braid today, and May thought her sweater looked new. She couldn't help but wonder if Michelle Jones was trying to get her nephew's attention. She doubted Peter would really notice, though. He seemed less interested in girls or dating lately, especially now that Peter had told her more about Liz and her father.

They all sat down and listened to Peter's stories before the conversation turned towards something that had happened earlier in the day at school. Apparently, that Flash kid got himself into trouble after backing his dad's car into a dumpster.

"He tried blaming it on Spider-Man, but that excuse only worked once, after Homecoming," Peter laughed.

"Hey, I talked to Pepper today," May informed him. The other two knew all about Pepper Potts. Rumors about her wedding with Iron Man were all over the internet.

"It looks like things are set for us to go upstate on the 26th. Happy will be picking us up in the morning around 8:00 A.M."

Peter nodded and smiled. She could tell by his body-language that the 26th couldn't come soon enough. There was something _off_ though. "Is that ok?" she asked.

Ned, MJ, and May were all studying him now, and Peter looked up sheepishly.

"It's just…" Peter spoke up. "I have no idea what to get Mr. Stark for Christmas. What do I get the man who already has everything? I know he doesn't expect a gift, but it's just…" he took a breath, "…I feel like I should give him something. You know…to thank him for all that he is doing for me."

The others looked thoughtful. "Maybe try something with more sentimental value?" MJ offered.

"I'm not sure he's the sentimental type," Peter answered. "Plus…I don't think I really have anything."

"Everyone is sentimental," MJ said with complete confidence in her words. "You'll think of something."

The kids helped May clear the table before heading back to Peter's room to finish their homework.

They had to draw angles with protractors for their math homework, but Peter couldn't find his in his backpack. He figured he must have knocked it out when he was changing in the alley. Ned offered for Peter to use his.

"It's cool." Peter said, "I think I have an old one in my desk."

Peter opened the bottom drawer and rummaged around for a while. _"I know it's here. It probably just fell to the bottom,"_ he thought. He pulled out some old drawings from elementary school and set them on top. When he found what he was looking for, he went to replace the pictures.

He stopped the moment he saw one of his drawings peeking out of the pile. _"No way!"_ He thought to himself. _"I can't believe I still have this!"_

The drawing was a bust of Iron Man. He completed the picture for an art project after the teacher asked them to draw a figure of someone they admired. Peter had worked hard on this picture. He wasn't an artist, but he put extra effort to get everything just right…especially the arch reactor in the chest. He always found that technology to be particularly interesting. Peter turned it over, and found his messy handwriting on the back with the words, _"When I grow up, I want to help people like Iron Man."_

"Dude, did you find it?" Ned asked.

"Yeah!" Peter answered his friend quickly while he placed the drawing back in his desk carefully. He returned to his work with a huge grin on his face.

"Something exciting about math homework?" MJ asked.

"Uh…well, yeah…I love math." Peter answered with a grin. _"Actually, I may have just found my gift for Mr. Stark,"_ he thought. He kept that to himself, though. He didn't think that his friends needed to know that.

Michelle shrugged before turning back to her own paper.

By 8:00 o'clock, MJ and Ned were leaving. This was May's favorite time. The time when she could have Peter to herself before he went off to bed.

"You know, Pepper did say that you could pick a day to invite Ned and MJ upstate." May told him.

Peter looked up at that, and she didn't miss the huge smile on his face, "Really? Why didn't you say something when they were still here?"

"I thought I should tell you first and let you think about it. Maybe you can talk to Tony about what day could be best, especially since Happy will likely need to give them a ride." She smiled to herself imagining the disgruntled look the man would have on his face at picking up a couple of teenagers.

"That would be so cool! They would love that. I could tell them about it as like a Christmas gift or something! I'll talk to Mr. Stark and then talk to them about a day at school tomorrow." Peter walked over and kissed his aunt on the cheek. "Thanks for telling me, May!"

The last thing she heard him (and sometimes saw him) do in the evening was put on his mask and send a video report to Tony through KAREN. She had no doubt that tonight's report would include some ideas about having his friends visit the compound over break.

May smiled before walking over to the door and putting the deadbolt in place. She turned out the lights and looked forward to a good night of sleep ahead.

* * *

It was settled that Peter's friends would take a day to visit the compound on the 29th of December. Tony was actually looking forward to taking the opportunity to meet the famous Ned and MJ. He was impressed with the way Peter's friends looked out for him. _"If only I could find more friends like that,"_ Tony thought. He tried not to think about Steve Rogers and his betrayal, but the wound was still fresh. He didn't think he would ever forget the image of his parents' brutal murder at the hands of James Buchanan Barnes.

Tony supposed another reason his parents' death was on his mind was due to the fact that the anniversary of their death had just taken place. 26 years later, but their death felt all the more recent due to learning the truth. The accident hadn't been an accident at all. It bothered him that Steve could take the side of the man responsible, brainwashed or not. _"He didn't even have the decency to tell me that he knew they were murdered!"_ He often wondered when or how Steve discovered that fact for himself. The man had been frozen for 70 years, and yet he knew the truth before Tony. He supposed he would have to start talking to the man again if he ever wanted to find that out, but he had no intention of making up with the star-spangled knuckle head any time soon. Truthfully, he suspected Nick Fury passed those details along to Cap somewhere along the way.

Tony shook his head as if to shake away those memories. He wanted to think of something more pleasant, like getting ready to see Peter after Christmas. He and Pepper entertained the idea of having them celebrate the with them on the holiday, but May and Peter apparently had traditions. They liked to do things similar to how they celebrated the holiday when Ben Parker was alive. It wasn't a problem. He would have Pepper all to himself and that suited him just fine.

He was eager to show Peter the most recent modifications to his web-shooter design. The materials were expensive, so Tony figured that would be the kid's Christmas present.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to spend New Year's Eve with Peter. Tony and Pepper were expected to make an appearance in Time's Square. He offered to have Peter and May join them, but Peter made a face and told Tony that he would prefer to stay upstate and watch the ball drop on the TV with May. He smiled as he recalled the story Peter told him. Apparently, Ben took May and a young Peter into Time's Square when he was around 8-years-old. Peter pulled a disgusted face and told Tony about a drunk man who urinated on the new sneakers Ben and May had given him for Christmas that year. After that, Peter had no interest in being anywhere near that insanity in Times Square ever again.

He and May would be heading back to Queens on New Year's Day, so Tony only hoped he could be back to the compound in time to bid them farewell.

Today was the 20th of December. He would see Peter in less than a week. He smiled at the thought before going to busy himself and tinker with his armor.

* * *

Peter sat up slowly in bed, scrubbing his hands over his eyes. He sat there for a few moments and allowed his body to become full alert. He glanced out his window to see the wreaths and ribbons decorating the doors and windows all down his street. He smiled, _"It's Christmas morning!_ " Peter realized!

He jumped off his bed and stretched. He had spent all of Christmas Eve with Aunt May. They had started a tradition with Uncle Ben where they would go for a walk around the city, taking in the decorations and listening to carolers as they sang the usual Christmas songs. They would stop at a Starbucks where Aunt May would get a Gingerbread Latte and Peter would get the largest cup of hot chocolate that was available. They liked to take their beverages and finish walking around as it got dark. They would judge the lights that were put up on the various homes and businesses before heading home to watch _A Miracle on 34_ _th_ _Street_ (the older one that was in black and white) and eat fresh popcorn.

The day before had been perfect, and he was excited about what this day would hold as well. He and May would exchange gifts and then head over to have brunch with Ned and his family. Mrs. Leeds insisted that they come. They would usually just enjoy some toast and jam after opening gifts and head to their favorite Chinese restaurant for an early dinner, another tradition started by Uncle Ben. Peter smiled at the memory. Ben had insisted on going out to eat every Christmas. May had tried to make him a Christmas dinner for their first Christmas after getting married, and she had nearly set the kitchen on fire. He decided that it was much safer to just go out.

Peter pulled on a shirt, sweater, and jeans before combing his hand through the mess of curls on his head. He wouldn't worry too much with his hair until it was time to go to Ned's house. Peter walked over to his desk and grabbed the gift that he bought for May. Next to his aunt's gift was the one that he had ready for Tony. He had put his old drawing in a clear, plastic frame that would allow Tony to see both the front and back. Peter looked at the gift and frowned.

 _"He'll think this is stupid."_ He thought. _"I don't know what I was thinking. I'm 15! This picture was drawn by a 10-year-old for a homework assignment! It doesn't even look that nice. Ugh! Why did MJ put it in my head that it should be something sentimental?"_

Peter drummed his fingers on the desk for a minute. He pushed the picture aside and picked up the small white box that contained the gift for his aunt.

Walking out of his bedroom, he found May making toast and setting out some jam. She was wearing a Santa hat and had a huge smile on her face. "Merry Christmas, Peter!" she practically sang the greeting when she saw him.

"Merry Christmas, Aunt May!" he smiled back at her.

He went over and snagged a piece of toast. It was a special cinnamon bread from the bakery a few blocks over, and it was only available this time of year. He liked spreading it full of an apple jam that was made by one of their neighbors.

May's eyes sparkled at him as he took a bite. "Slow down!" She scolded playfully. "We want to try to make that last, you know!"

Before long, they were sitting on the couch with their small artificial tree nearby. Peter and May only ever exchanged one gift. They felt it was irresponsible to spend too much money on numerous gifts, so they opted to try and get one meaningful gift for one another.

"Me first!" Peter proclaimed, handing the small box to May. He was especially proud of his gift for May this year.

May slowly reached forward and took the little white box. Peter didn't bother wrapping it since he wasn't really good at that. Therefore, it didn't take May long to see the PANDORA name on the box. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at Peter in shock. "Oh, Peter! You didn't…" May gasped, "…how did you? I mean…this is too much!"

May didn't even need to open the box to know what was going to be inside. She knew that Peter had seen her gaze longingly at a pair of earrings on display. When Peter asked her about it, she told him they reminded her of the earrings that she wore on her wedding day. The earrings were borrowed from an aunt, and she had to give them back. Yet, she always loved those earrings. Peter had tried to convince her to buy them, but she refused and told him she couldn't justify spending the money.

She opened the box to see the beautiful earrings gleaming back at her. They weren't real diamonds or anything, but that didn't matter. PANDORA jewelry was still out of their price range.

"Peter…" she breathed his name, barely audible. Tears were making their way into her eyes as she looked up at him. "How did you manage this?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Peter gave a small laugh. "It's a little funny, actually," he explained. "As people saw Spider-Man around town, they started offering me money to do tricks or take a selfie with them. At first, I refused, but then I realized that it might be a good way to earn the money that I needed to get those for you. It really didn't take long. I had what I needed in less than a week!" Peter said proudly.

May laughed heartily. "Seriously? Wow…ok. I'll keep that in mind if we're ever behind with our bills in the future."

She held the box in her hands and removed the earrings with care. "Help me put them on?" she asked.

Peter smiled from ear to ear and complied with her request.

"You're beautiful, Aunt May." He complemented her once they were in. "But you don't need the earrings for that," he added.

"Aww, Peter!" May stood and walked to a mirror on the wall. "Gosh! They're perfect!" She returned to the couch and gave Peter a long hug. She pulled away and reached for his gift. "I feel silly. I'm not sure my gift is as nice as yours." She looked embarrassed. "I struggled for a long time about what to get Spider-Man for Christmas. I eventually settled on taking MJ's suggestion for you…something sentimental."

With that she handed him a beautifully wrapped gift (she had no trouble with wrapping). Peter studied her face for a moment and gave her a smile, "I'm sure I'll love it, May."

Peter ripped through the paper and found an expensive-looking frame. The picture inside the frame took his breath away. He had no idea this picture was still around. He recalled the day it was taken:

 _Peter was so excited to hear that the renovations to Stark Tower were complete. It had been torn apart in the attack. His Uncle Ben surprised him by taking him to see the new Avengers Tower together. They couldn't get inside or anything, so they just hung around to see if they could see anything interesting and took a few pictures. Peter was almost 12-years-old at the time._

 _"Let's take a selfie, Uncle Ben," Peter exclaimed._

 _"A what?" his uncle asked in confusion._

 _"You know…a picture that we take together of ourselves. You hold your arm out far enough to get us in frame and snap the picture," Peter explained._

 _"Sure, kiddo," Ben said._

 _Ben had brought his small digital camera along. Peter had teased him about cameras becoming obsolete and told his uncle to just get a phone with a nice camera. However, Ben refused to use a phone for anything except phone calls_

 _Peter and Ben stood close together with their backs to the tower. Ben tried to make sure that they were both in the frame with the tower in the background._

 _"Ready?" Ben asked._

 _"Ready!" Peter answered._

 _"1…2…3!" Ben called and pushed the button to take the picture on 3. At about the same time, they heard a sound from the tower behind them._

 _"It's Iron Man, Uncle Ben! Do you see? There he goes!" Peter shouted with excitement._

 _"Will you look at that!" Ben said._

 _Peter thought he was talking about the man taking off into the sky, but Uncle Ben was looking at the preview on the camera. "We caught him in our picture, Peter!" Ben said. "He's just a small spec, but there he is!"_

 _"Really? That's so cool!" Peter said running over to take a look._

 _"This is awesome, Uncle Ben! We need to go show Aunt May."_

 _"We will" Ben smiled at his nephew. "Let's go." Ben gave a laugh. "You'll have to help me get this off the camera, Peter. I always have trouble with that part."_

 _"Sure!" Peter was staring at the picture as they walked towards the train station. They both had these goofy grins on their faces in the picture, but Peter didn't care. He thought it was the best picture ever!_

Back in the present, Peter held back tears of his own. "I thought Uncle Ben lost this picture file when his laptop broke. I never thought I'd see this again. I love this picture!"

"I found the old camera card," May explained. "Ned helped me get it printed out. It seemed appropriate…it's almost like an omen. Maybe some part of Uncle Ben knew the Avengers would be part of your future."

May looked down at the photo cradled in Peter's lap. "I guess Stark was always lurking in the background," she joked but then grew more serious, "or rather he was there…ready to look out for you."

A tear slid down Peter's cheek. "Thank you so much for this, Aunt May!" He gave her a hug before standing to take the picture over to the table for display. He would treasure it forever.

* * *

The rest of Christmas day had gone by smoothly. Before Peter knew it, Happy had them at the compound upstate and settled into their rooms on the 26th. Peter was thrilled to see Vision, and he was more than a little surprised to see that he looked more like a regular man, except for the yellow stone in his forehead. May seemed a bit more cautious of Vision. She wasn't sure how to behave around something that wasn't exactly human. Vision seemed patient enough with her, though; somehow, he seemed to understand her apprehension.

Tony gave Peter a card to wear around the compound, for the sake of appearances. It identified him as an intern for Stark Industries. May got one as well, and it identified her as an assistant for Pepper. Tony wasn't sure that it was necessary, but he felt the need to be cautious.

On the evening of the 26th, May and Peter had a belated Christmas dinner with Tony and Pepper in their home on the fourth floor. It was no surprise that the food was delicious. Peter had brought his gift for Tony, be he wasn't sure when the right time would be to give it to him. There was even part of him that thought he shouldn't give it to him at all.

Pepper had complimented May on her earrings, and Peter noticed that she beamed while telling Pepper the story behind them.

Tony had told Peter about his web-shooters/gift not long after he arrived that morning. After finishing dessert, he got an idea. He thought it might be best to get Tony alone in order to give him the picture.

"Do you think you could show me those web-shooters now, Tony?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Now?" Tony asked with surprise. "I don't know…it's getting late. I'd hate to leave the ladies alone to fend for themselves," He joked.

"Oh please," Pepper scoffed. "You've been dying to show Peter what you did. Go on! May and I will be just fine."

Peter and Tony shared a look, smiled, and quickly made their way to the elevator.

Peter picked up the bag containing his gift for Tony.

"Hurry, kid!" Tony joked. "Let's go before they change their mind!"

Once on the elevator, Tony noticed the bag Peter was carrying. "Whatcha got there?" he asked.

"Oh..erm…uh," he stuttered. "This is just something that I want to show you. I'll-I'll show you in the lab."

The two made their way into the lab, and Tony went straight towards the back table in the corner. He wasted no time pulling up the schematics and started showing the upgrades to Peter.

"See this?" he asked. "They're smaller and more lightweight. I'm thinking we could even modify a watch of some kind so that you can access your webs outside of the suit in case of emergen…" he trailed off as he noticed Peter wasn't really paying attention. He seemed to be fiddling with the bag on his shoulder, deep in thought. "Earth to Pete…" he called. "Expensive new tech…you wanted to see it?" Tony studied him a moment. "You alright, kid?"

Peter fidgeted some more and gave Tony an embarrassed look. "I don't know what I'm doing, Mr. Stark. I just…it's silly…you're going to think that I'm just a dumb kid," Peter blurted out.

Tony raised his eyebrows and looked confused. He had no idea what the kid was talking about. "You're anything but dumb, Peter," Tony said. "I got the ideas for this from one of your own sketches.

"No…I mean," he let out a breath, "it's not about the web-shooters. I wanted to give you something…away from the others, but now I just think it's stupid!" Peter spit out his words quickly.

"You talking about the thing you wanted to show me? The thing in that bag?" Tony asked. Peter didn't answer, and Tony noticed he had a deep blush on his face. "You're making me nervous, kid. Do I need a drink for this?"

"What?" Peter asked. "No…I don't think…ughh." Peter set the bag on the table and pulled out the clear plastic frame, without fully letting Tony see it yet.

"I found this in my desk at home," Peter explained. "I wanted to give you something…something for Christmas…to say thank you, I guess. I didn't know what to get you, and my friend MJ suggested something sentimental. I found this, and I thought…I thought you might like to see it." Peter put a hand to his head. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I think you're just going to think it's stupid. You made these awesome web-shooters, and I have this picture I drew when I was 10."

Peter finally revealed the picture to Tony. He didn't day a word. He just waited and watched Tony's face carefully for his reaction.

Tony took the framed drawing from Peter. He thought for a moment about teasing him and asking if the kid made him a picture for his refrigerator, but he thought better of it seeing the look on Peter's face.

He was surprised to find a decent drawing of the Iron Man armor from the chest up. It looked like the artist put great detail into the helmet and the arc reactor in the chest. It wasn't the best drawing of Iron Man that he'd ever seen, but there was something about it that really touched his heart. The words on the back made a flutter go through Tony's chest, and for a moment he thought there was still some shrapnel trying to make its way into his heart. _"When I grow up, I want to help people like Iron Man"_ was written in a child's handwriting. Then he noticed the artist's name in the corner.

There was a lump in Tony's throat, and he didn't quite understand where it had come from. "You did this?" he asked.

Peter just nodded his head quietly.

Tony coughed to talk over that damn lump, "It's pretty good. Your detail with the arc reactor is especially noteworthy. I'm a little concerned about the sentence on the back, though."

Peter looked at Tony with concern, "You think it's stupid…I knew I should've just left it in the…"

"You misunderstand me, kid." Tony said. "This is…umm…ahem…it's one of the nicest gifts anyone has ever given to me. Kids have drawn pictures and given them to me, but this is from you. Ahem…it-it means a lot." Tony looked Peter in the eye. "I'm just not always sure that I make the best decisions. There are plenty of people that I haven't helped…people I haven't saved." Tony spoke honestly.

"You saved me." Peter said simply.

The silence in the room spoke volumes, and a lot was said in the way the two men looked at one another. There was a respect for one another that passed between them. Neither one really knew what to say exactly.

Tony laid a hand on Peter's shoulder, moved it up to his cheek briefly, and lowered it to the shoulder again with a friendly patting motion. He finally held the hand still on his shoulder and broke the silence, "Ahem…when I grow up…" Tony smiled, "I want to have a heart as big as Peter Parker's."

Peter beamed at his mentor and gave him a sheepish grin.

"Thank you, Peter," Tony said. He cleared his throat and broke the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room by saying, "This is totally going on the fridge!"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This is meant to be taking place during December 2017; therefore, Christmas was a Monday. Peter and May arrived upstate on a Tuesday. I'm going to be referring to the days of the week more in this chapter. You'll find that an unwelcome face appears at the end of the week. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Christmas Break - Part 2

Peter was relieved that he was able to make Tony smile with his gift. Tony's presence in his life was a gift in and of itself to Peter, so he was happy to be able to give him something to show his appreciation.

The next couple of days went by in a blur, like most days that are a part of a vacation. Peter was either fiddling around in the lab, or training in the lower level. Tony spent time training with him on Wednesday, but he and Pepper left for the day on Thursday. Vision was more than happy to train with Peter while Tony was away. Working with Vision, however, was a little frustrating for Peter. With the android's ability to faze, Peter couldn't really hit him with his webbing, it would shoot through him. If nothing else, training with Vision taught Peter to utilize some of his other abilities and strengths and rely less on his webs.

By Thursday night, Peter could hardly contain his excitement since his friends would be visiting the next day. They had told MJ and Ned's parents that Peter's internship with Tony Stark helped him to gain special guest passes to the Avenger Compound for his friends. To make things easier for Happy, MJ's parents were dropping her off at Ned's house. Happy would be picking them up there and bringing them to the compound to meet Peter.

Peter thought about going along with Happy to pick them up, but both May and Tony thought that he should stay back to make the preparations for their visit.

Ned and MJ arrived at the compound a little after 10:30 Friday morning. Peter rushed out front to greet them as Happy pulled in. He saw the look of joy on their faces before they even got out of the car. (Although, Michelle was clearly trying to look unfazed by it all).

"Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god!" Ned exclaimed as he got out of the car. "Peter! This is… this is…" he stared at the building and Peter thought he might have seen tears of joy in his friend's eyes. "THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY THE COOLEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME!"

"Dude…" MJ stared at Ned, "Chill out, we haven't even gone inside yet." She looked around at the security. "If you don't cool it, the hired henchmen will send you home."

Peter laughed, "Hey! Henchmen work for the bad guys. We're the good guys here."

MJ squinted her eyes at Peter and looked around, "Mmm Hmm… Time will tell," she teased.

"Come on inside, guys," Peter motioned for his friends to follow him into the massive building.

"Uhh… you're welcome!" Happy called after the teenagers. They paid him no attention, so he shook his head and sighed, "Ungrateful punks. Maybe they would just like to walk home." Happy slid back in the car and went to park at as the teenagers made their way inside.

Ned could barely contain himself. Everyone looked so important and he wished he could talk to people about their job and which Avengers they knew.

Peter didn't spend much time on the first floor. He pointed in a couple of directions and explained what the various rooms were for before ushering them towards the elevator.

"I want to show you the third floor. Aunt May is up there preparing for lunch." At seeing his friends horrified expressions, he added, "she's not making it. She's just making sure that the food is ordered and we have everything that we need." Ned and MJ visibly relaxed. "I can't wait to show you my room. It's like I have my own apartment. I thought we could hang out in there until it is time for…"

He didn't get to finish that sentence because Iron Man himself stepped off the elevator before they got to it.

"Hey, Peter! There you are. I heard your guests arrived, so I thought I should say hello before you kids got too busy." Tony gave a confident smile to his friends.

"Uh, yeah…" Peter said, "Mr. Stark, this is Ned…"

"Hello, Ned," Tony greeted, stepping forward to shake Ned's hand.

Ned's eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. "You're shaking my hand. You're actually shaking my hand. This is… is… it's so crazy!" Ned looked at MJ and pointed at Tony. "Iron Man just said hello to me! He knows my name!" He turned back to Tony, embarrassed, "I mean…ahem," Ned lowered his voice as it had gone up an octave in excitement, "It's an honor Mr. Iron… Man… um… Iron Man, sir."

"Take it easy… breathe kid… don't hurt yourself," Tony joked.

Peter chuckled at Ned's excitement before looking over to MJ. "…and this is Michelle" Peter introduced. He noticed that she looked amused and her eyes sparked with something that Peter realized to be excitement. _"Huh… I didn't know she could get excited,"_ he thought.

She took Tony's hand and spoke gracefully, "You can call me MJ. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stark." And it wouldn't be MJ if she didn't add, "I'm the one who keeps these two losers in line."

Tony liked her. Peter could tell. "I'm glad to hear there is someone to knock some sense into the kid when I'm not around," Tony said, referring to Peter.

"I have to say," Tony added, "I'm glad you two could make it. I'm pleased that Pete felt comfortable sharing his secret with you, and I appreciate how you both have his back." Tony's voice held a genuine gratitude that left Peter feeling truly proud of his friends.

Leave it to Ned to accidently ruin the moment, "I'm happy to be on Peter's back…" his eyes went wide and he stuttered, "No! I mean… I'm on top…"

Tony's eyebrows shot up and he looked amused.

"…On top of it… things… I mean… If there's a problem, I'm on top of it. I know how to back him up."

"Wow… just, wow. Very smooth, Ned," MJ teased.

Tony looked at Peter, "This is the kid who helped you hack into the suit? Huh… ok" Tony shrugged. "Well, I better let you all get on your way. I know you're only here until 6:00, and I don't want to take all your time. It really was nice meeting you both. If you'll excuse me, Colonel Rhodes is flying in for a meeting shortly and I need to be going."

They all waved their goodbyes, and Peter led his friends onto the elevator. The doors closed, and Ned leaned forward and smacked his head on the wall, "Ugh… that was bad… so bad!"

MJ laughed, "Actually, I thought you did pretty well. I honestly thought that could've gone worse."

Ned glared at her before Peter said, "Don't worry. He likes you guys. I don't think you could say anything to change that. He may like you even more now, actually."

Ned doubted that. He said, "Colonel Rhodes… is that War Machine?"

"Yep." Peter said. "I didn't know he was coming by. I haven't seen him since… well… Germany. I don't know if I'll get a chance to catch him later or not, but it would be nice to see him again."

The elevator opened to their floor, and Peter changed the subject to talk about the space in front of them. May greeted both of his friends with warm hugs. Vision was nowhere to be seen, so Peter assumed he must have gone downstairs to be with Tony and Rhodes. Ned and MJ were amazed by the living quarters on the third floor. It was like seeing the inside of a luxury apartment building.

"Can we see where all the Avengers would live… like their room?" Ned asked.

Peter frowned. "No… I mean, I've never been inside any room other than mine or the one May uses. I was up to Tony's private living space once, but only saw the entertaining space," Peter clarified.

Ned looked a little disappointed but nodded his head in understanding. Peter didn't miss how MJ tried to hide her surprise when Peter talked about visiting Tony's private floor. The three friends made their way to Peter's room where they stayed until it was time for lunch. They were enjoying the Xbox gaming and entertainment system.

When it was time to eat, Peter's friends were blown away. There was a whole taco bar set up with anything they could possibly want. They ate the lunch with May, and Peter filled them in on what they could do next. Peter was somewhat restricted as far as areas they could see, but Tony told him that they could see his space on the third floor, the lab, and the training area (but no other area in the lower level). They decided that they would spend time in the lab after lunch before Peter would let them come into the training room with him.

They finished lunch and made their way to the lab where Peter showed off the upgrades to his web shooters. He even let them tinker with it a little. He also showed them the formula for the web fluid, and his friends helped him make a batch. After a couple hours in the lab, Peter asked, "Want to test this fluid out in the training room? I have some of my older web shooters. I'll set up some targets, and you guys can use those to take some shots."

His friends nodded with excitement and they made their way downstairs. The lower level was massive. The space below ground level was larger than what anyone would expect from above. The training area was only a portion of the space. On the side opposite of the training area was a kind of command center that was tucked away for members of the Avengers. From there, the team could easily make their way to either the garage or hangar in order to access appropriate transportation for missions. Peter knew Tony was probably meeting with Rhodes in the command center, so he ushered his friends to the training area quickly so as not to disturb or interrupt anything.

"Woah…this is amazing!" Ned commented as he looked around.

"They actually let you in here?" MJ asked.

Peter smiled. "This is where I will learn to be an Avenger, so yeah… I can use this whenever I want."

Peter grabbed some paper targets and set them up on all around the room. He even climbed some walls and put them up higher. He didn't bother putting on his suit, but he did have a newer set of web shooters to try out. His friends had some of the older models. He showed them both the basics of how to shoot the web out, although Ned had already figured it out. After all, it was Ned who helped him at Homecoming.

"So, you guys can shoot the webs, but you need to stay on the ground. It would be too dangerous for you to try to swing up high like I do." Peter said. "You might be able to swing on them a little from the ground, like you would use a rope swing or something." He gave a small laugh, "Just be careful. It might be hard to explain if I send you home with injuries."

MJ shot off a web and hit one of the targets. She smiled proudly, "I think we can handle it."

With that, the friends were firing webs all over the place hitting one target after another. MJ and Ned ran around the floor trying to hit all the different targets. Peter climbed up and around the walls, shooting at the targets with them. He couldn't resist swinging around and showing off a little for them as well. After some time, Peter felt something stick to his shoulder as he was up high, hanging off a wall. He looked down to see that MJ had hit him with a web.

She had a look of triumph and said, "I thought I would try a moving target." She tugged on the webbing and Peter let her pull him back down to the floor. He looked up to see his friends share a look. Peter removed the webbing and once again noticed how they were looking at each other—the look was full of mischief.

"Hey now…" Peter put his hands in the air and backed up. "You guys wouldn't dare!"

"You better run, Spider-Man!" Ned teased.

With that, Peter took off as his friends both tried to capture him with their webs. It was all in good fun, and Peter was having a blast. He started out slow but picked up some speed in order to offer his friends more of a challenge. With his enhanced senses, he dodged most of their attempts. He heard a few comments about how he wasn't being fair but didn't take it seriously since he could hear them laughing.

"Aw, man! I'm empty," he heard Ned say.

Peter stopped and dropped back to the ground. They all looked up to see a mess of webs around the training room. Peter explained that they would dissolve later.

"Where's the bathroom?" Ned asked suddenly, a light blush on his face.

Peter walked his friend over to the side and pointed to a hallway, "It will be on the right," Peter told him.

He watched his friend go around the corner before looking down and examining the web shooters on his wrists and started to take them off.

Suddenly, webbing was stuck to his waist and he realized that MJ hadn't yet run out. He let out a little yelp of surprise as she yanked him in her direction.

"Woah, yeah… you got me," he smiled to her. "Nice shot!"

She pulled him so that he was next to her and smiled. Peter couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she looked when she genuinely smiled.

"This was really fun," she said while tucking some hair behind her ear. "Thanks for today."

He looked up and met her eyes. He went to say something, but he was lost for words. MJ had a look in her eyes that was different than any look he had seen before. Belatedly, he noticed that she still held on to the webbing and was pulling him closer, little by little. He let her pull until their faces were just inches apart.

"MJ…" he breathed softly. So many thoughts were running through his head. "I… umm… we… I…"

"…shut up, Parker," she said, and she moved forward to silence him with her lips.

They didn't quite get the chance. "Man, the bathrooms here are so nice. It's more like a spa or something!" Ned proclaimed as he came back into the room.

Peter had quickly jumped back, and Ned never noticed what had nearly taken place. Peter rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at MJ. To her credit, she recovered fully and was distracting herself by removing the borrowed web shooters.

"So, what's next?" Ned asked.

Peter looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost 5:00 o'clock already. We better head upstairs and get you guys something to eat before Happy takes you home."

He collected the web shooters from his friends and went over to a locker in the hallway to set them inside. Little did he know that there was someone who had seen exactly what took place between him and Michelle. May had snuck down to the viewing window to watch the friends play together. She quickly started to go back upstairs since she knew they were getting ready to make their way up as well. _"I knew she was trying to get his attention,"_ May thought, _"Now I think Peter finally knows it as well."_

On the way upstairs, MJ and Peter stole some awkward glances at one another. Ned was still so excited about everything that he didn't notice. MJ wasn't one to make a fuss, however, and it wasn't long before it was as if nothing happened.

For dinner, they enjoyed some delicious homemade pizza and ice cream as they laughed and talked about their day. The friends soaked up every minute, and Peter noticed that it was actually after 6:00 by the time he led his friends back to the car where Happy was waiting to take them home.

Ned lifted Peter into a friendly and tight bear hug. "Dude! This was so amazing! I hope we can do this again sometime!" Peter smiled and lifted his hand for them to do their secret handshake. Ned gave his friend another smile before getting into the car.

Peter walked over to MJ sheepishly and tucked his hands into his pockets. She spoke first, "This was…" she sighed, "…cool."

Peter gave a smile and a nervous laugh. "It was…" he met her eyes and gave her a cheeky grin, "I guess it could have been cooler though."

She looked towards the car and back at Peter. They had too much of an audience now between Ned and Happy. MJ stepped forward and instead pulled him in for a quick hug. "Call me?" she asked. "When you get back to Queens on Monday?" she clarified as she hopped into the car.

"Yeah…" Peter confirmed. "Of course… I… uh… can't wait… Monday." He stuttered.

Happy was eager to get going, and he started to pull away as soon as the teenagers in the back were settled.

Peter made sure they were safely away and turned to go back in. He got to the top of the steps and found May and Tony standing together, looking at some video that Tony was projecting from his phone.

They were busy talking and failed to see just how close Peter was. "What… you think… a little before 5:00, you said?" Tony asked.

"Right… about… there, stop it there!" May was pointing at the screen.

To Peter's horror, Tony had FRIDAY pull up camera footage from the training room. May and Tony were watching the part where MJ had tried to pull Peter in for a kiss.

"WHAT?! How did you… why are you…" he stuttered out, "That's not for you to see! Erase that!"

Both adults jumped slightly at Peter's approach.

"Oh, hey Pete!" Tony said, "May was just telling me this little story about seeing you with your friends earlier… one friend in particular… I just had to see it for myself."

Peter's jaw was hanging open. He looked at May, confused.

"I'm sorry, Peter," she laughed. "I wanted to see what you guys were doing, and it just so happened that I got to see the best part," she teased.

"Man… just one second more…" Tony whined. "She's good… almost had you, kid." Tony smiled and closed the video before looking up at Peter. "I approve. That girl has skills… we need to work on yours, though," he teased.

"Thanks a lot," Peter whined.

He shook his head as he followed the two grown-ups back inside, both of whom were chuckling as they went through the door.

* * *

The next day, Peter was in a very good mood. He was still feeling the high of spending the previous day with his friends. He loved that he got the chance to share this part of his life with them.

Peter and Tony had each grabbed freshly squeezed juice from the cafeteria on the main level, and they were making their way to the elevator. Peter was planning to spend the day with Tony since he and Pepper would be leaving the next day, and Tony wasn't sure if they would be back in time to say goodbye to Peter and May before they went back to Queens on Monday.

FRIDAY was suddenly speaking to Tony, a warning in her voice, "Sir, Thaddeus Ross just made his way through the gate. He is quickly approaching and asking to speak with you. Security personnel are instructing him to head towards Conference Room 2."

"Shit!" Tony cursed and looked to Peter. "Maybe you should get out of here. Head to the elevator and…"

"…too late," Peter cut in. "He's already at the door and looking in our direction. I think it will be suspicious if I run off in a hurry."

"You're an intern. Follow my lead," Tony said quickly and quietly to Peter before directing his attention to the man approaching. "Secretary Ross! My oh my, what a surprise it is to see you! You shouldn't have come all this way just for little old me!" he quipped.

Ross looked thoroughly annoyed. "Actually, I did need to come here. Especially since you have a bad habit of putting me on hold! I wanted to catch you now before you run off for the holiday. I hear you met with Colonel Rhodes to discuss a certain topic without me. Something you both know that I should be a part of!" He scolded Tony but left out details upon seeing the young man next to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that I needed your approval to talk to my friends." Tony complained. "And what we talk about is really none of your damn business! Now…if you excuse me, I was just about to head to the lab with my intern."

Ross was now paying full attention to Peter, who was trying to play the part of dumb intern. He looked to the tag that Peter had clipped to his front pocket. "Excuse me, Mr… uh… Parker, is it?" Peter nodded and held out his hand.

"It's an honor, sir." He said. Ross gave his hand a quick, impatient shake. The man was clearly not interested in wasting time on an intern.

However, Ross was a little curious and asked, "You always invite kids to secure facilities like this, Stark?" He examined Peter, "Seems a little young to be here."

"Mr. Parker here is a real genius. Top of his class… no doubt a future at MIT. He makes your old test scores, yes… I have seen your test scores," he said as Ross gave him a look, "he makes you look like… well…" Tony shrugged. "Let's just say I think the kid could probably do your job better."

Ross clenched his jaw tightly shut and looked to Peter, "What is it that Stark makes you do here?"

Peter was nervous, so Tony jumped in, "Nuh uh… you don't get to harass my interns. If you must know, I came across the kid's mad skills when I was a guest judge at a robotics competition at his school," Tony lied easily, "He's helping me perfect the design on Colonel Rhodes' leg braces."

"Mr. Stark has all the best tools and materials here for me to help out," Peter added, proud of just how steady his voice was as he spoke.

Ross nodded, seeming to accept this explanation. "That's all well and good," he shifted impatiently, "but you're going to have to excuse us. Mr. Stark needs to share some important information with me. I understand there is a conference room available for us?" Ross was not going to let Tony get out of this one.

"Kid," Tony turned to Peter, "You can go up to the lab and wait for me there. I'll have FRIDAY let you know when this little meeting is done. It shouldn't take me too long to convince this guy that there's no breaking news for him." Tony glared at Ross, who was glaring right back. "That ok?"

"Uh… Sure, Mr. Stark," Peter confirmed, "I'll go up and get started a while. It was nice to meet you, sir." He said to Ross.

Ross seemed to be looked in a staring contest with Tony and only gave a subtle nod back to Peter.

As Ross and Tony made their way to a conference room, Peter shuffled to the elevator. Once safely in the elevator with the door closed, Peter let out a long, shaky breath. He also noticed that his hands were shaking slightly and closed them into fists. "Oh god…" he thought aloud, "please tell me that worked." Peter's mind worked furiously, _"Is Ross asking about Spider-Man? Could they be talking about me?"_

He leaned back against the wall of the elevator. He skipped the floor to the labs, and he instead went straight to the third floor. His aunt looked up at him as he stepped off the elevator.

May took in his pale complexion and closed fists. "Peter? Is everything ok? I thought you were going to be spending time with Tony?" she asked with concern.

"He's here, May…" Peter said to her, his voice stiff and anxious.

"Tony? Isn't he supposed to be here?" May asked, clearly confused.

"No!" Peter said a little too loudly. He noticed Vision came out to see what was going on as well. "I'm not talking about Tony, Aunt May…" Peter had brought his voice back under control.

"Then who? Peter what's wrong?" May tried again.

He looked up at his aunt with concern filling his eyes, "Secretary Ross… Secretary Thaddeus Ross is in the building, and he is talking to Mr. Stark right now."

May brought a hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp.

Peter just hoped their worst fear wasn't about to come true.

 **A/N: Get ready…here we go!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Same old disclaimer... characters belong to Marvel.**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 12: When it All Comes Apart

Tony was angry. This was not supposed to happen. _"How the hell does he have any idea as to what Rhodes and I were talking about?"_ Tony thought to himself nervously. As soon as they were secured inside the conference room, Tony went over to the cabinet to pour himself a glass of whiskey, the time of day be damned. Any unexpected meeting with Thaddeus Ross was a reason to have a hard drink in hand. He didn't bother offering Ross a glass. That would be a waste of good whiskey.

Tony stood by the cabinet and glared at Ross from across the room. The man remained standing and leveled Tony with a glare of his own.

Tony spoke first, "So… you going to tell me specifically why you're here? Or are you just going to continue pining for me from across the room?"

"I don't have time for your games, Tony." Ross snapped.

"Funny…" Tony answered, "…I was about to tell you the same thing!"

"Some of my men overheard Rhodes on his phone when he returned back to DC yesterday," Ross gave Tony a look.

Tony took a sip of whiskey, "Overheard? Or they were monitoring his calls?" he asked.

Ross didn't feel the need to clarify. "Apparently Rhodes seemed to be talking to someone about the ability to contact a fugitive. One whose whereabouts you claimed to know nothing about," he accused.

Tony's mind worked quickly, _"Is he referring to Spider-Man or…"_

Tony's thoughts were interrupted when Ross finally got to the point, "How long have you had a way to contact Rogers?" Ross demanded.

Tony added more whiskey to his glass before putting the bottle away and making his way over towards Ross. _"Thank god,"_ He thought, _"at least this isn't about the kid."_

"I've told you before," Tony began, "I have no intention of going after that traitorous son-of-a-bitch. He turned his back on me by protecting his boyfriend!"

"You have the resources to…"

"Nope! I am not wasting my valuable resources on Rogers. We're not on speaking terms, and I'm through with him! Finding Rogers is not in my job description, that's on you," he pointed towards Ross. "Unless he turns into some kind of star-spangled terrorist with his buddy, you can't ask Iron Man to go after him!"

Ross gave Tony an annoyed look and took a step in his direction. "You're avoiding my question, Stark… talking in circles. You didn't answer the real question. I don't care about whether or not you _want_ to talk to Rogers. I want to know _how_ to talk to him. I know you have a way, and I want it." Ross' tone was deadly serious.

"Is that what you _know_?" Tony challenged. He lifted his glass and finished the remaining whiskey in one gulp. "Well… I'm sorry, Mr. Secretary, but I'm afraid you were misinformed."

Ross was red in the face and trying to keep his anger in check. It wasn't working too well. "You selfish, arrogant bastard! I should place you under arrest right now!"

"On what grounds?!" Tony demanded. "Eavesdropping on one side of a phone conversation will hardly hold up in court. You can't even come close to taking me down!" Tony got in Ross' face and added, "You never will."

Ross stepped back and shook his head. "You're all talk, Tony. Always putting on a show. Always trying to present a picture of being the good guy… someone the people can trust." Ross growled. "It's bullshit. You signed the Accords as part of your show. You have no intention of cooperating with authorities!" he accused. "You can't be trusted! You're lying about Rogers, and I have no doubt you've lied to me about your knowledge of Spider-Man, too!"

Tony fought to keep his face unreadable for Ross, and he hoped that he was successful. "I will cooperate with the UN authorities. I do not need to cooperate with your agenda," he glared. "Now… you've over-stayed your welcome here today. Get the hell out!"

With that, Tony walked over to the door and held it open for Ross and his crew to leave.

Ross stood for a moment and examined Tony. "Ok, Stark," Ross sounded dangerous. He stepped closer to the door and made sure Tony was looking him dead in the eye when he said, "but when the shit hits the fan, just remember… _it's your fault_." He left those words hang in the air and motioned for his men to follow. Ross didn't feel the need to bring up his other news. He had an Ace up his sleeve, and he intended to use it.

Tony watched Ross leave. He wanted to be sure the man was gone for good before he made his way back to Peter. _"What the hell just happened?"_ he thought.

* * *

Peter was trying to distract himself upstairs. May and Vision were sitting with him in front of the TV in lounge area.

Nothing on the TV was helping and he kept flipping through the channels:

 **ABC NEWS ANCHOR: "Today we're going to be talking to some representatives from the U.N. about possible changes to the Sokovia Accords…"**

 _CLICK_

 **HISTORY CHANNEL: "During the war, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was believed to have been killed in action. Captain Steve Rogers mourned…"**

 _CLICK_

 **CELEBRITY NEWS SHOW: "Tony Stark is expected to make an appearance at Times Square tomorrow with his fiancé, Pepper Potts. Some people are hoping that we may have "Tony Stark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" someday in the near future…"**

 _CLICK_

 **A RE-RUN OF LAW AND ORDER: _A prison door slides closed with an audible crash. The prisoner looks forlorn and yells something about being innocent._**

 _AUNT MAY GRABS THE REMOTE AND TURNS OFF THE TV._

"That's not helping," she said.

Peter didn't say anything. He was staring at the blank screen in front of him. Time was moving so slowly that he felt like the first 37 minutes at the DODC Vault went by faster.

"You seem distressed, young Peter," Vision commented. "There is no need to fret. Mr. Stark will tell you what he can."

"Ugh! I just hate this waiting part!" Peter whined. Suddenly, he had an idea. "FRIDAY, can you show us the feed of what's happening in the conference room with Ross?" Peter asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Peter, but you do not have access to that feed," FRIDAY replied.

"What?!" Peter was annoyed. "Why not?"

"Mr. Stark has given you limited access. You cannot access anything that puts you unnecessarily at risk. It's called the BABY GATE protocol," the AI explained.

"Are you kidding me?" Peter exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Ugh! Of course, it is!" He stood up and began to pace.

May and Vision shared a look.

"You are not yet an Avenger, young Peter. You cannot expect to have full privileges at this time," Vision stated simply.

"But you do!" Peter stood up and stared at Vision. "You can ask FRIDAY for the live feed! Please, Vision, I need to know what's happening! Maybe I should be getting Aunt May out of here! It may not be safe!"

"Peter…" May cut into his rambling. She looked towards Vision, "I don't think it's a good idea," she said.

"I am in agreement with you, Mrs. Parker," Vision replied. "It is best we wait for Mr. Stark."

They only had to wait a couple more minutes before the elevator opened and Tony himself stepped into the room.

"I thought I told you to wait in the lab? What if Ross demanded to go up and see what we were working on?" Tony snapped at Peter as he came forward.

Peter looked guilty. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you were serious." He looked thoughtful, "Would it be a good idea to let Ross see the labs? Wouldn't he see the Spider-Man projects?" Peter asked.

"Of course it would be a bad idea to take Ross there… that's not the point," Tony complained. "I didn't know where you were at first! I thought maybe you ran off or something… at least until FRIDAY told me you were up here," he admitted.

"Tony…" May warned, "You need to tell us what is going on! We've been worried."

Tony rubbed a hand over his face before making his way over to the kitchen counter and leaning against it. He looked up at the three other people in the room. "Everything is fine," he said, "for now," he added.

"May we inquire as to the nature of your meeting?" Vision asked. "Young Peter and his aunt have been waiting anxiously."

Tony sighed and gave Vision a look, but he decided that they deserved some explanation. "Yesterday, Rhodey and I talked about Steve Rogers. Rhodes wanted to discuss whether or not we should try to contact Steve and give him any updates about what we're trying to accomplish with amendments to the Accords. I told Rhodey that Cap is a big boy and can get information on his own," Tony spat out. "Somehow, he overheard Rhodes talking to someone later on the phone… I'll have to find out who it was, but I suspect he was talking to Pepper. Those two are always working together to discuss my health and well-being or something!" He rolled his eyes, "Anyway…someone informed Ross that Rhodey was talking with someone about the ability to contact Rogers. Naturally, Ross thought he needed to get in my face and demand that I tell him how he might be able to reach out to Grandpa Steve for himself," Tony explained.

"So, this wasn't about Peter at all?" May asked hopefully.

Peter collapsed on a nearby chair in relief.

"Well…" Tony began. May noticed that Tony looked a bit anxious, and Peter sat up in his seat.

"Well? What?" May prompted.

Tony stepped forward and pushed his hands into his pockets. He sighed and answered, "Ross believes that I am lying about my knowledge of Steve Rogers; therefore, he felt the need to accuse of me of also lying about my knowledge of Spider-Man," Tony admitted.

Peter threw his head back in frustration and closed his eyes, "Shit!" he said. Mostly to himself, but the others heard him.

"Yeah…" Tony agreed. "The good news is that I don't think he gave my intern a second thought. He hasn't connected those dots yet, kid. That's a good thing."

Peter opened his eyes to look at Tony. Tony met his gaze and added, "Good job, Mr. Parker. We dodged a bullet…" he said, "at least for now."

May went and sat down near Peter. Vision was standing off to the side and quietly absorbing the information.

"I think…" Peter started and began to stand up. "I think I need to be alone. I'm going to go to my room for a while," he stated.

Tony looked disappointed. "I was hoping we could go to lab… get our minds on something else?" he offered.

"Maybe later…" Peter said. "…I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. I just need to be alone." He walked towards his room, but turned back to add, "Maybe we can catch up in the training room later? I think I'd like to work of some anxiety this afternoon."

"Sure, kid," Tony said, "I can agree to that."

Peter went into his room, leaving the other three to stand in the lounge.

"He's worried," May said to Tony. "So am I. This was too close."

"I know," Tony said. "I need to call Rhodes and Pepper. Maybe I can fill you in more later. I'll see if Pepper's able to meet us all for dinner."

With that, Tony made his way to the elevator. May and Vision watched him go.

"I fear things may take a turn," Vision stated.

She sighed, "Let's hope it's not a turn for the worse."

Vision didn't answer, but she could tell that he didn't think things were going to be better.

* * *

The rest of the time at the compound went by quickly. Peter and Tony were able to spend time together before the group had dinner that evening. Tony and Pepper left Sunday morning for the city. Peter and May spent the day together before watching the ball drop on TV. They laughed at Tony's antics whenever the camera panned to show him and Pepper in Times Square. Vision joined Peter and May to watch the ball drop, but he didn't seem overly interested in the show. They were all distracted by Ross's appearance the day before.

Tony and Pepper made it back in time on Monday morning to bid farewell to May and Peter. They had a late breakfast together, and Pepper talked about throwing a party for Peter's birthday during his visit for spring break. She wanted to distract him and give him something to look forward to.

Midtown Tech always had a long break. This year, their break was from March 17 through March 27. Peter's 16th birthday fell on Thursday, March 22nd. They decided that MJ and Ned could come up for a party at the compound that day. Peter would go back with them that evening, and May would have another party back in Queens for him on Friday. Peter would be allowed to invite more friends to that party. They would determine the location for the second party later.

By the time Happy was ready to take them home, Peter was back to being more upbeat. He gave both Pepper and Tony a hug before joining May in the car to head home. Peter would return to school the next day, and he was eager to give MJ a call when they returned. He would call Ned, too. He just had some unfinished business with Michelle. He smiled to himself as they pulled away.

Pepper and Tony watched them leave.

"You okay?" Pepper asked Tony when they pulled away.

"I'll be fine," Tony responded. "I just can't shake this feeling that our plans for his next break will be interrupted." He looked at Pepper. "Ross is up to something, Pep. I can feel it. I just wish I knew what it was."

* * *

Time again moved by quickly. Peter settled back into his school routine. He and MJ were officially a couple now. At first, Ned was annoyed, but Peter and MJ weren't going overboard with any public displays of affection. Therefore, things didn't feel too different, and Ned was grateful. Life was comfortable. They continued to help Peter with his patrols after school. Everything seemed to be perfectly fine. They didn't need to worry about Thaddeus Ross.

Or so they thought.

* * *

It was the end of February when Ross was finally able to arrange a private meeting with Adrian Toomes, the Ace up his sleeve. During his investigation into Spider-Man, his men heard rumors about the man avoiding some of the other inmates, especially those who believed that he knew the identity of Spider-Man. Ross wanted to question the man for himself, but he needed to do it under-the-radar. He didn't want Stark or anyone else to know that he would be questioning the man known as _the Vulture_. It took some time to work with the officials at the prison to keep his visit off the books.

When Ross made his way into the private interrogation room, he found Toomes handcuffed to the table in front of him. Ross sat down and met the man's eyes from across the table.

Toomes wasn't an idiot. He recognized the man sitting across from him. "Well, well, well…" Toomes began, "Secretary Thaddeus Ross… to what do I owe this honor? It's not every day that I get a visit from an important man such as yourself," he said. He spoke with arrogance and he seemed bored. Ross noticed the man acted as if he had better things to do with his time, and he wondered how prison could possibly be more interesting.

"Adrian Toomes," Ross stated, "also known as 'The Vulture.'" Ross rolled his eyes a little, "you all need a special name these days, don't you?"

Toomes just shrugged his shoulders and continued to look bored.

"I'm going to get right to the point, Mr. Toomes. I'm a very busy man," Ross gave Toomes a pointed glare from across the table.

"I'm not going anywhere," Toomes motioned towards the cuffs, "I'm all ears."

"I want whatever information you have on the Spider-Man," Ross demanded. "He got involved in with the Avengers in Germany, and he caused trouble when he went after you on that plane. He needs to be held accountable, and I want to know who he is!"

Toomes laughed, "Just look for the guy running around in red and blue tights! What do you need me for?" he asked.

"I hear…" Ross leaned forward on the table, "…that you know who he is. I want the name."

"You're wasting your time, Mr. Secretary. I don't know who he is," Toomes replied smugly.

 _"Bullshit,"_ Ross thought. "If that's how you want to do this, Mr. Toomes," Ross nodded to one of his men in the corner. "Wade, if you please…"

Wade was a big, military-looking man that stepped forward. Toomes craned his neck to look behind him, and he flinched when he saw the man with something in his hand.

"Woah, woah…hey! Wait a minute!" Toomes protested. It was no use. A second later, a needle was plunged into Toomes' neck. Wade nodded at Ross and stepped back. "What the _hell_ was that?" Toomes demanded.

"Something to help you give me the truth," Ross explained calmly. "I told you… I am a busy man. I want answers, and you _are_ going to tell me what you know."

"Truth serum?!" Toomes yelled. "You bastard! You gave me truth serum?" Toomes shook his head back and forth rapidly, as if he could rid his system of the contents that were now moving through his veins. "Shit!" he cried.

"Listen to me, Vulture," Ross began. "You made your living on taking things that didn't belong to you. I believe you have some information that belongs to me now. Who. Is. Spider-Man?" he emphasized his last words.

Toomes was breathing heavily, clearly trying to fight the drugs in his system. "He's mine!" he said, "That little web-slinger is supposed to be mine!"

"So, you do know him?" Ross clarified. "I want a name."

"The little prick took my daughter to homecoming! He was in my car! I should've known sooner. He was so strange back at the house," Toomes laughed and was clearly more disoriented, "I chalked it up to him being some nervous nerd who was afraid of his girlfriend's dad."

Ross looked confused. _"What the hell is he rambling on about?"_ He looked towards Wade who just shrugged. "His name… what is his NAME?" Ross was practically yelling now.

Toomes looked like he was fighting a battle within himself. Sweat was beading on his forehead. "Agh! PARKER!" He finally answered, "The little shit's name is Peter Parker! He went to Midtown Tech with my daughter… he lives in Queens." Toomes admitted, breathing heavily.

"Parker?" Ross furrowed his brows and looked over to Wade. "Why the hell does that sound familiar?" he asked.

Wade was pulling up information on his phone. "I got his school picture, boss," he said. "What do you know? It sounds familiar because you met him already, sir…"

Wade handed the phone with Peter's picture to Ross. Upon seeing the image, Ross clenched his jaw and his nostrils flared in anger.

"…isn't that the kid we met when you went to see Stark?" Wade asked.

"SON-OF-A-BITCH!" Ross yelled. He stood up so fast that he knocked over the chair he'd been sitting on. "It's the fu****g intern! I should have known!" Ross stared back at the picture. "He's just a kid! How is this even possible?!" He looked back at Toomes.

"I don't have a clue. I dropped a building on the little bastard, and he still got up and came after me!" Toomes whined.

"What do you wanna do about it, boss?" Wade asked.

A wicked smile pulled across Ross's face. "Oh… I know exactly what we are going to do!" He nodded his head back towards Toomes.

"Take care of him, Wade," he said. "We have some things to take care of." With that, Ross made his way out of the room.

Adrian Toomes never even saw the second syringe before Wade plunged it into his neck.

* * *

Ned, MJ, and Peter were having dinner with May at the apartment. Tonight, they brought home some Chinese food, and they were eager to dig in. With spring break a few weeks away, their homework load increased. They were planning to spend the night studying together for a History exam.

Suddenly, May stopped and stared at the TV that was muted in the background. "Oh my god," she whispered, stepping forward to unmute it and listen to the story that was playing on the news.

The teenagers turned to see what she was looking at, and their jaws dropped open.

"Oh no…" MJ gasped.

"Can't be…" Ned commented.

Peter looked sad, "Poor Liz… turn it up, Aunt May."

 **NEWS REPORTER: "Earlier this morning, Adrian Toomes (AKA "The Vulture") was found dead in his prison cell. While his death is still under investigation, officials believe that Toomes killed himself. He was found hanging from his bunk with what the guards believed to be his bed sheets. There does not appear to be any foul play involved…"**

"I can't watch anymore," Aunt May said as she quickly turned the TV off. "We don't need to see that." She shook her head. "That poor family."

The teenagers were quiet. There just wasn't anymore that needed to be said.

 _"I guess I don't have to worry about him revealing my secret,"_ Peter thought. _"I just hope he didn't kill himself because of me… I would never be able to live with that. Poor Liz!"_

Peter never seemed to think about himself. If he had, he might have realized that this was his chance to speak up and tell Aunt May that Toomes had known his secret. Perhaps May would have helped him realize that there was something fishy about Toomes killing himself, especially when the man had wanted so desperately to get back to his family.

By the time Peter would realize his mistake, it would be too late.

 **A/N: Uh oh! There it is. Don't forget to share your thoughts and review! Please and thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I still down own them; I'm just going traumatize them a little in this chapter.**

 **A/N: Thank you all for the kind reviews. I have to apologize to my guest reviewer (Batman111893) - You may not like where this is going next. But you all don't need to worry! This is before Infinity War, so Thanos is still going to cause more damage than me! Bonus points to anyway who catches the subtle nod to Deadpool.**

Chapter 13: Crumbling to Pieces

Spring break was finally approaching, and Tony was so excited to see the kid. He was eager to help him celebrate his 16th birthday. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Peter was so young. Tony continued to be impressed by the way Peter was growing and learning as Spider-Man. The kid was capable of amazing things, and he used his power only to help people. He could've done more for himself with his abilities, but Peter's mind was always on others and looking out for their needs above his own. Peter was supposed to be learning from Tony, but Tony was the one who was learning from Peter. The relationship between Peter and May was incredible; it was proof that family doesn't end with blood. It was a good thing, too, because the only people in Tony's life that could be considered family were not blood relatives. Not that Tony didn't want blood relatives, and that was probably why had dreams about starting a family with Pepper. They were getting older, and Tony didn't want to waste anymore time. He supposed he would just need to find the right time to talk to Pepper about it. In the meantime, he would try to practice fatherly skills with the Spider-Kid.

The only issue Tony had currently was the gift that he agreed to help May get for Peter's birthday. The gift was not Tony's style, like at all! He recalled the conversation that he had with May:

 _"Tony, it's very important to me that we stay practical. You offered to help, and I really do appreciate that. However, that does not mean you get to tell me which car to buy!" May argued. "Don't forget… Peter and I will be sharing this car for a while. Having two cars isn't practical for us right now. When Peter is ready to go to college, then we can talk about an upgrade. For now, he and I will share the new Toyota Prius. It will replace my old car, and we can use it to drive here so that Happy doesn't have to pick us up all the time! It has great gas mileage, and the size is perfect for navigating through the city!" May tried very hard to make Tony understand her point of view._

 _"But a Prius?" Tony whined. "We can't get the kid a nice Audi? They have models with good gas mileage, too, you know!"_

 _"Tony we can't have some fancy car sitting outside of our apartment in Queens. It will draw too much attention, and it will probably be stolen after the first night we have it home!" May exclaimed._

 _"Not if I put in the security system," Tony said seriously._

 _May just blinked at him. "Ok…" she sighed, "How about a compromise? I will get the nicest and newest model with all the bells and whistles, then I'll bring it here where you can add whatever you want! A nice stark-installed security system would be nice. A new Prius could still attract a lot of attention in our neighborhood!"_

 _Tony hesitated and looked doubtful. "You're sure about this? You think the kid will like it?"_

 _"Absolutely!" May said, "He is excited to get a chance to drive the car I have now. He thinks he can bring that up here, but it hardly survived that one trip! He'll be happy to have a new Prius, Tony, I promise."_

 _Tony sighed again, "Fine!" he agreed, "Get the kid the Prius, but bring it right here as soon as you have it! I'm going to have to get to work on that thing right away."_

 _"Deal," May agreed. They even shook hands on it._

Tony smiled at the memory. He supposed that May was right about getting something more practical. He offered to help them afford two vehicles, but May didn't see that as a necessity. She explained that she had no problem using public transportation if Peter was using the car.

It didn't matter. Tony already decided he would buy the kid a nice Audi as a graduation present someday, he just didn't tell May.

The current plan was for May to visit her friend Marie that lived near Albany the day before Peter's spring break began. Marie's husband had a car dealership, so he was helping May with the details. She would drive up and exchange cars there. Then, she would drive the new car to the compound, join Peter, and let Tony do his thing with the car. It would be great. May had already told Peter about visiting her friend, and Peter was happy that his aunt felt comfortable going away.

As far as getting the kid upstate, they planned to have Happy pick up the kid at the apartment when he was done with school.

The plan was set and perfectly flawless. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

After getting the information that he needed for Toomes, Ross and his men began keeping an eye on Midtown Tech. His men watched Peter Parker come and go every day, and they studied his patterns. The kid was careful. He would leave with a couple friends, and one would always stand watch somewhere as Parker changed into his Spider-Man gear. It also appeared that his friends would retrieve his belongings and return them later. Ross figured that Stark must have warned him to be more careful.

The thought of Tony Stark made his blood boil. The man was infuriating! He acted as if he was superior to Ross! _"I'll show him who is in charge!"_ Ross thought to himself as he read the reports of Parker's recent activity. They would need to make their move very carefully if things were going to work out the way Ross wanted.

More recently, Ross's people were able to obtain Parker's phone records. He could tell that Parker and Stark tried to keep the communication professional, like something an intern might communicate to his boss. There were also some long breaks between phone communication, and Ross figured that they probably had a secondary form of communication.

As Ross studied the text messages and call transcripts, however, he could read between the lines. Stark cared about this kid. Add in Stark's persistence with not telling Ross the truth about Spider-Man, and it was clear—Tony cared about Parker a lot. This was something that Ross could use. He could kill two birds with one stone, as long as everything went according to plan.

It wasn't long before he learned that Parker would be going upstate while his school was closed for break. They had also seen a text between Peter and Happy Hogan indicating that the latter planned to pick him up at his apartment in Queens.

Ross called Wade into the room. He finally knew exactly how they would set their plan in motion, but he would need Wade's help.

* * *

On the last day of school before break, Peter could hardly contain his excitement. Aunt May had left to go see her friend, but she was going to be meeting him upstate the next day. Happy was going to pick him up at the apartment so that he could grab the things he had packed.

Spring break was going to be a blast. He was so excited to spend his 16th birthday at the Avengers compound. Everyone closest to Peter Parker/Spider-Man would be there: Aunt May, MJ, Ned, Tony, Pepper, Vision, Happy, and even Colonel Rhodes was planning to be there. Most of the details of that party were a surprise, but Peter was really just excited to have those closest to him be there to celebrate. That evening, Aunt May was going to drive Peter, MJ, and Ned back to Queens. His friends were going to sleep over and help him set-up for a bigger party with some other kids from school. Ned's mom offered to host, and they were doing a Star Wars themed costume party. Mr. Stark even helped set up some kind of virtual reality space experience for him and his friends. It was going to be great!

The only problem was that, in all the excitement, Peter had forgotten to charge his phone. He didn't have a way to charge it at school, so he figured he could just charge it on the way.

Peter was in his last class of the day when there was a knock on the door. His Spanish teacher opened it to find the school secretary with a message.

"I have a pick-up notice for one of your students," she informed the teacher and then was on her way.

The teacher looked at the note before saying, "Mr. Parker, this seems to be for you."

Peter took the message. It was a form indicating that he was to be picked up at school. The message line read, "Mr. Hogan delayed. Your ride for your internship will be picking you up after school. Black Sedan."

At first, Peter wondered why they didn't just call him, but then he remembered that his phone was dead. It was too bad. He would have liked to text Happy and make sure he was ok. Peter was a little worried about being able to get the stuff he packed, but he supposed he could have the driver stop by the apartment on the way.

All in all, he wasn't too worried. It wouldn't be the first time that someone else needed to give him a ride. He decided he would plug his phone into the car to charge and check with Happy on the way to the apartment to get his stuff.

As the bell rang signaling the end of the day, Peter and his classmates gave a small cheer. They were all ready to begin their break. Peter bid farewell to Ned before taking a little more time with MJ. They found a quiet spot where they could have a little privacy and shared a sweet kiss before parting ways. Saying goodbye to his best friends wasn't easy, but he knew he would get to see them again.

Exiting the school, Peter recognized the standard black sedan that was a signature for Stark Industries. He noticed that there was one guy at the driver's seat and a second was waiting for him by the back door to open it for him. The man wore a suit typical of Mr. Stark's security detail and he greeted Peter with a warm smile as he approached.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Parker," the man said, "My name is Wilson. Mr. Hogan sends his apologies for being delayed, but I promise we'll take good care of you."

"Cool. Thanks, Wilson." Peter stated as he got into the car. Wilson followed him into the back and sat down to Peter's left. It reminded him of the time when Happy had driven him and Mr. Stark back to Queens after the incident in Germany.

"That's Wade in the driver's seat," Wilson stated. Peter noticed that Wilson seemed to be in a much better mood than Wade. He figured the driver wasn't too happy about chauffeuring a teenager upstate.

Despite the other man's mood, Peter sent him a pleasant greeting, "Hey, man! Thanks for driving, Wade. I'm excited to get going!" Then he added, "We are going to stop at the apartment, right? I was supposed to be able to grab my things."

Wilson answered for him as they pulled away from the curb, "Oh! Absolutely… it was just closer for us to pick you up here. Isn't that right, Wade?"

"Mmm Hmm," the other man grunted from the driver's seat.

"Ok, great… yeah… thanks." Peter said. For some reason, Peter was starting to feel _off_ about this situation. He wondered if maybe his enhanced senses were trying to tell him something. "Umm… do you mind if I use this port to charge my phone? It died earlier, and I didn't get a chance to charge it. I'd like to make sure Happy is ok."

"Please do!" Wilson said cheerfully. "As a matter of fact, I'll give you a hand."

Peter thought that Wilson was perhaps a little too friendly but figured maybe he was just trying really hard to impress Mr. Stark. Peter opened his backpack and retrieved his phone and car charger. He handed Wilson the charger, and he plugged it into the port behind the center consol. "Here," he said handing Wilson the phone. "I'm just going to close my bag… thanks."

"My pleasure," Wilson said.

To Peter's horror, instead of connecting the phone to the charger, Wilson opened up the window and quickly threw the phone out as the car continued to move.

"What the hell, man!" Peter protested. "Why would you do that?" Now he was really getting worried. He also belatedly noticed that they had missed the turn to go to the apartment. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, _Spider-Man_ ," Wade spoke from the front, "but I'm afraid you won't be going to see Mr. Stark today. By the order of Secretary Thaddeus Ross, you are to be taken to a secure facility where you will be detained for an undetermined amount of time."

"Wait, what?!" Peter couldn't believe this. He should have known this wasn't right. This wasn't happening. "You have the wrong guy! I'm just a high school kid." He tried.

"Really?" Wilson asked from next to him. Peter noticed he was now pointing some kind of weapon at him. Oddly, the man kept up his friendly demeanor. "Come on, kid. You think that we didn't do our homework on you? We were nice enough not to make a big scene and arrest you in front of your friends." Wilson motioned towards his backpack. "You need to give me your bag, Parker. I'm going to need to deactivate the tracker that is no doubt in that suit of yours."

Peter clutched his bag and gave the man a defiant look.

"I would cooperate, kid," Wade spoke up again. "That taser in his hands is extra powerful. It won't feel so good if he has to use that on you."

"You need to cooperate with us, Parker," Wilson was talking again, "Make it easier on yourself."

Peter was starting to find it hard to breath. This was _insane_! Were they taking him to that prison Tony talked about? He didn't want to go to prison! This wasn't supposed to happen. He started to weigh his options, and he thought about ripping off the car door and making a run for it with his enhanced abil…

He didn't get to finish that thought. Wilson informed him that his time was up as he pushed the taser into Peter's side.

The jolt of electricity set every nerve in his body on fire, and Peter immediately let go of his bag. As it fell to the floor, Wilson removed the taser. It had all happened within a few seconds, but Peter was already fighting to stay conscious and catch his breath.

"You should have just given it to me, kid," Wilson explained as he picked up Peter's bag.

In no time, Wilson was pulling his Spider-Man suit from his backpack. "We have the wrong guy, huh?" he teased.

Peter was clutching his side and staring at the man next to him. _"This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real,"_ he told himself.

"I know I have the right guy, anyone else would be unconscious or dead already," He looked at Peter a moment before using the taser once again.

"STO…" was all Peter could get out. The pain was intense. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even scream as his body spasmed from the electricity. Again, Wilson hadn't used it very long. He clearly just wanted to make sure that Peter was incapacitated.

It worked.

Peter still fought to stay conscious, but the sweat was pouring down his face and his breathing was shallow and fast. He slumped down in the seat, holding his side. He tried putting as much distance between himself and the other man as possible. Peter's head was pounding, but he was able to see what Wilson was doing. The man took out a laptop and another smaller device. The smaller device was used to detect the tracker and anything else that could be used to let Tony know where he was.

Before long, Wilson was ripping something from the suit, hacking in, and deactivating the various protocols. The man was good. He even managed to deactivate KAREN.

Wilson threw the suit to the floor before directing his attention back to Peter.

"Still awake?" he asked, clearly impressed.

"…ere… y.u…tak..n…me?" Peter asked, hating how weak his voice sounded.

"That's for us to know," Wade said from the front.

"…and for you to NOT find out," Wilson added, "Nighty night little spider!" With that Wilson pressed the taser to the Peter once again. This time he didn't take it away until he knew that Peter was truly out.

The last thought Peter had was, _"May is gonna be pissed!"_

"He's out!" Wilson called to Wade.

"Good. I'm going to give him a call," the driver answered. Ringing could be heard throughout the car as the call went out on the car's Bluetooth.

Ross's voice was heard picking up on the other end, _"Yes?"_ he answered.

"We have Spider-Man, boss," Wade informed me. "We're on our way to meet you now."

 _"Very good!"_ Ross sounded thrilled, _"I'll meet you at the airstrip!"_

"We'll be there in about 30 minutes or so, boss," Wade confirmed.

 _"Excellent, make sure he remains subdued. Don't underestimate that kid! I can't lose him now!"_ Ross insisted.

"Don't worry, sir," Wilson called from the back seat. "We got the spider in our web now, and he's not going anywhere."

Wade ended the call. Wilson kept the taser in his hand, ready to use it again if necessary. He looked at the kid, however, and figured that wouldn't be necessary. It seemed he would be out for some time.

* * *

Happy was confused. It was almost 3:30; the kid should have been back to the apartment by now. He was also getting worried because the calls kept going to voicemail. Either the kid's phone was dead, or something was very wrong.

Happy was about to call Tony when he had another idea.

He groaned and hit another number in his contacts list.

The phone only rang once before an excited voice picked up on the other end, _"Mr. Happy?"_ Ned answered with enthusiasm.

Happy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, kid, this is Happy Hogan…"

Ned cut him off. _"Mr. Happy! It's so cool you actually called! I didn't think you'd even keep my number when I gave it to you after Christmas! What's going on? Do I get to come upstate early? I guess you aren't delayed anymore! I'd love to get a ride if…"_

"Hold on!" Happy interrupted. "Delayed? What? Is Peter still with you?"

For the first time, Ned was silent on the other end of the phone. _"Uh…no,"_ Ned's voice was confused and held some worry. _"He got a message at school. Someone called the office and said you were delayed. Someone else picked him up and…"_

"What the HELL?" Happy yelled into the phone. "Why would he go with someone else? Shit! I gotta call Tony, kid. Let me… maybe I'll call you back!"

Without listening for another response from Peter's friend, Happy ended the call and quickly rang Tony's number.

 _"This cannot be good!"_ Happy thought.

* * *

"Hey, Hap!" Tony answered cheerfully. "You and the kid on your way?"

Tony was back at the compound setting up some more things for Peter's party the following Thursday. There were some things he wanted to finish before Peter arrived. He was also expecting to hear from May soon. He wanted to make sure that she didn't have any problem with the car or the money he sent to help her pay for it.

 _"Tony…"_ Happy's voice sounded very worried through the phone, and that immediately made Tony feel worried.

"Happy?" Tony asked, "Are you and Pete alright?"

 _"I'm fine… I was here at the apartment waiting for the kid. He was late, and I called his friend… that Ned kid,"_ Happy explained. _"Tony, someone called the school and told Peter that he was being picked up there… that I was delayed or some BULLSHIT like that!"_

Tony listened to his trusted head of security on the phone as he quickly filled him in. Tony wasn't sure he was following, or he hoped that he was misunderstanding what Happy was saying.

"What are you saying?" he asked. He needed clarification. He had to know for sure. He needed to know that he was understanding exactly what was going on.

And why in the hell was his chest feeling so tight all of a sudden?

 _"He's gone, Tony. Someone else has Peter,"_ Happy explained, his voice filled with regret. _"I'm sorry,"_ he added.

Tony couldn't breathe. The room was spinning. _"Someone else has Peter."_ That's what Happy said. "Oh God…" Tony said aloud. He turned his attention back to the phone, "Get back here as soon as you can. I'll call you if I find anything." Tony didn't even wait to hear Happy's response. He ended the call and immediately tried to track down his favorite kid.

Tony had a bad feeling about who that "someone else" was with Peter, and he desperately hoped that he was wrong.

* * *

The black sedan pulled into the private airstrip where Ross was waiting not far from a large military-looking helicopter.

The car came to stop, and Ross approached, a spring in his step.

Wade and Wilson exited the car. Wilson left his door open for Ross to look inside as he approached.

"Shh… the baby's sleeping," Wilson joked.

Ross glanced inside to see an unconscious Peter Parker slumped in the back seat. The kid looked pale and a little clammy, but otherwise was unharmed. Ross smiled.

"The intern… huh…" Ross scoffed and shook his head, looking between the other two men. "He doesn't look like an enhanced individual to me."

"Trust us, boss," Wade said. "The kid doesn't look like much, but Wilson had to use a lot of juice from that taser to put him out. A normal man would be dead right now."

"No doubt," Ross commented. "Get him out of there," he ordered.

Wilson reached into the backseat and pulled Peter out, none too gently. Poor Peter's head connected with the roof of the car on the way out, causing him to stir.

Wade and Wilson each grabbed an arm and held Peter in front of Ross, who noticed Peter trying to regain consciousness. Slowly, the young man peeled his eyes open and set unfocused eyes on Ross.

"I don't know if you can understand me right now, son," Ross teased and lowered his head so that his face was inches away from Peter's own. "…but there's been a change of plans. We've arranged some other accommodations for you."

Peter's eyes regained some focus. To the men's surprise, Peter tried to fight the men holding him with a decent amount of strength. "Argh…" Peter groaned as he tried to summon any strength he could.

Ross motioned to another man near the chopper. "Bring the restraints!" He called.

The man quickly brought over thick cuffs that looked nothing like normal prison restraints. He also brought a collar over. Ross picked up the collar first.

"This will keep you in line," Ross stated as he approached. He noticed that Wilson and Wade were beginning to strain against the kid, so he placed the collar around Peter's neck quickly.

Peter yelped as it snapped into place. It wasn't overly tight, but it was definitely uncomfortable. As Peter regained focus, he noticed that the collar wasn't impacting his strength. He was about to give a fierce tug to pull himself free when he suddenly felt a strange pulse coming from the device on his neck. The pain he felt from it wasn't much different from the taser. Peter crashed down to his knees and reached his hands towards his neck, breathing heavily. _"What the hell was that?!"_ Peter thought.

Ross knelt down in front of Peter, holding a remote in his hands. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ross scolded. "You'll need to be more careful, Mr. Parker. Or do you prefer Spider-Man?"

Peter lifted his eyes and gave him as fierce of a look as he could muster. In this moment, he wanted to be as bold as his Spider-Man persona. He would not let Ross see his fear. (Even though he was undoubtedly afraid).

Ross ignored the look and continued, "That device on your neck… it's not so different from the one we needed to use on Maximoff when she was in custody. This remote…" he held out the remote for Peter to see, "…can be used to activate that collar. If you thought the first pulse was painful, you'll want to cooperate. The next one will be worse."

Peter gulped.

"Place the cuffs on him. You can keep his hands in the front," Ross instructed. The man who had originally brought the restraints had returned to the helicopter, which was now roaring to life. "Wade, you'll come with me," Ross motioned towards a smaller helicopter a little further away. "Wilson, you stay with our guest here." Ross gave Wilson the remote. "Make sure he stays comfortable."

Wilson smiled and took the remote.

Peter now had his hands in the cuffs. Wilson came around behind him and pulled him up.

Peter resisted the urge to groan at the pain in his knees. He was terrified, but if he didn't have his physical strength then he would muster up any mental strength that was left to glare at Ross with hatred.

"Nothing to say?" Ross asked Peter.

Oh, Peter had something to say alright. "F**K YOU!" Peter yelled. (He was a little glad Aunt May wasn't there to hear him).

Ross didn't respond, he merely gave Wilson a look over Peter's shoulder.

Before Peter could register what was about to happen, an intense pulse shuddered through his body. Peter fell to the ground with a loud groan of pain and was once again unconscious. Wade stepped forward with a phone and snapped a picture of Peter on the ground before helping Wilson drag him to the waiting helicopter.

Ross watched with a satisfied smile as Peter was placed securely on board.

Wade returned to Ross's side, and the two stood and watched as the helicopter lifted into the air.

"I thought the picture might help us prove our point," Wade smirked. "If not, we can always get Wilson to give us a live show."

The smile on Ross's face grew wider. "Come, Wade. Let's go give Stark a visit."

With that, the two men made their way towards the smaller helicopter, where a few more men where waiting to take them to the compound. Ross wanted to see the look on Stark's face in person, especially when he realized that he was helpless to save the kid.

* * *

Tony had quickly made his way down to the command center. He was frantically trying to trace Peter or find some sign of where he was.

Before long, Pepper stepped out of the elevator.

"Tony," she began, her face full of concern. "Happy called me and told me what was going on. He's making his way back now. I came to see how you're doing. Did you find anything?"

She noticed that Tony looked pale. The wrinkles in his forehead revealed his intense concentration and worry as he worked.

"Nothing! There's nothing here, Pep!" Tony yelled.

"I called Rhodes," she said. "He's coming as soon as he can."

"How can there be nothing?" Tony asked frantically, ignoring the bit about Rhodes. Pepper was still pretty sure that he heard her. "I put everything in his suit. I should at least be able to find that, but nothing! No phone. No KAREN. NO PETER!"

"Tony…" Pepper tried.

"I called the school!" Tony continued, "The message they gave Peter was about a black sedan. I tried getting into the traffic cameras outside the school!" Tony looked up at Pepper. "You know what I found? NOTHING! The cameras outside the school were apparently experiencing some technical glitch around the time the school let out!"

"No!" Pepper commented.

"There's nothing to go on here! I expanded out to the closest cameras around the school. Do you know how many black sedans are driving around the city?" Tony asked, his voice strained, "Too many! I have FRIDAY trying to freeze frames of black sedans that _might_ fit the time frame. We're trying scan for any face recognition, but there is NOTHING. What the hell am I supposed to do? That kid was my responsibility!"

"Oh, Tony…" Pepper said.

Tony voice cracked, "I lost him!"

Pepper tried to offer him comfort. "We'll figure this out. He didn't just disappear."

Tony looked at her. His face turned angry, but it wasn't meant to be directed at her.

"Oh, I know he didn't disappear! This has _ROSS_ written all over it! Somehow he found out… he had to… that's the only thing that makes sense…" his face turned to one of horror. "He'd take him to THE RAFT, Pepper. Indefinitely. No trial. I need to try to get to Peter before that happens, Pepper. There's no way Ross would let me get anywhere near that thing once Peter's on board."

"Tony…" Pepper said seriously, "We need to call May. She needs to know what's going on!"

Tony paused, a strange look fell across his face. It held a mix of fear, guilt, anger, and sadness. "Not yet," he finally said. "We need to know for sure. Pete wouldn't want us to worry her until there's something more definitive to tell."

"Ok…" Pepper reluctantly agreed. "But we need to let her know as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the harder it's going to be for her. He's the only one she has left." Pepper said the last part barely above a whisper.

FRIDAY's voice filled the room, "Sir… there's a helicopter approaching the compound," she said.

"Rhodes?" Tony asked, confirming that he had heard Pepper earlier.

"No, sir," FRIDAY informed. "It appears Secretary Ross is on board."

"What the hell?" Tony looked at Pepper.

"Do you think he has Peter with him?" She asked hopefully.

"Doubtful. That son-of-a-bitch probably came to gloat." Tony said as he walked towards the elevator. He intended to be there when Ross landed on the helipad. He looked at Pepper and activated a gauntlet on his hand. "I'll kill him before he gets the chance."

"Tony, wait!" Pepper called, "I'm coming with you! You're not facing that man alone!"

Tony didn't protest, and Pepper was glad. She would need to stop him from killing Ross before they could even get any answers.

* * *

As the helicopter landed, Ross wasn't surprised to see Tony storming in his direction, Pepper Potts close behind. The helicopter powered down and Ross and Wade stepped out with two other men.

Pepper had grabbed a hold of Tony and held him back in order to let the others step forward, further away from the helicopter that was still shutting down.

"Stark!" Ross greeted, "You didn't need meet me out here. I was coming to you."

Tony raised his hand and let the gauntlet roar to life. "You have some explaining to do, Ross!" Tony threated.

Wade stepped in front of Ross, reaching for a gun at his side.

"Gentlemen!" Ross scolded. "Let's be civilized, shall we?"

"Tony…" Pepper got Tony's attention and nodded towards the other armed men. Instead of trying to reason with Tony about being outnumbered, she tried a different approach. "…We need information. We need to know what he knows."

"Inside…" Tony said simply.

They all made their way into the building, and Tony led them into the nearest room that was empty. He and Pepper stood side-by-side and turned towards Ross and his men.

Ross spoke first. "You have a lot of nerve telling me that I'm the one who has some explaining to do," he told Tony.

"What?!" Tony asked, clearly in no mood to beat around the bush.

"It's the damnest thing, Stark." Ross began, "I finally was able to find someone to give me the identity of Spider-Man, and it turns out to be the same kid working as _your_ intern. Coincidence?" Ross asked, "I think not!"

"Who told it is was Peter?" Tony demanded. "He's just a kid! You have the wrong man!" he tried. He knew it probably wouldn't work, though.

Ross shook his head and laughed. He ignored the demand to know who told him Peter's identity. "He is a kid, but he is definitely the right man… if the suit and enhanced abilities are any indication."

Pepper had to hold Tony in place. "We need to know more," she whispered as he fought to attack Ross.

"You would have been proud, Tony," Ross added. "The kid put up one hell of a fight, which was amazing considering the high intensity taser that was used to subdue him in the first place!"

Tony was beyond angry. "So… you want to arrest someone? Arrest me!" he yelled.

"And take you to him?" Ross teased. "No… I don't think I'll do that, Stark."

"Where is he now?" Tony asked, "I need to know he's ok."

"I imagine he's still in transit," Ross said. He gave a sinister smile to Tony before adding, "he should arrive at the RAFT shortly."

"NO!" Tony cried as he raised his gauntlet at Ross again.

This time Wade stepped forward, his phone with the picture of Peter out in front of him. "I wouldn't!" he warned.

Tony froze at the sight of Peter in the picture. He heard Pepper stifle a gasp behind him.

"What the _HELL_ did you do?" he demanded of Ross. He saw that Peter looked unconscious, and there was a collar around his neck similar to one Wanda was forced to wear when she was detained on the RAFT.

"That device around his neck gives off a debilitating pulse," Ross explained. "Too much could probably prove fatal for Mr. Parker," Ross teased.

"You try attacking Ross again, and I send word to put Spider-Man in a world of pain," Wade threatened.

Tony and Pepper were speechless. How could they be so cruel to a _kid_? Especially Peter… he was so innocent.

"He doesn't deserve this," Tony said aloud. "He doesn't belong there, Ross." Tony was begging now. He couldn't let this happen. "Please… this is my fault! I pulled him into this. I needed his help with Rogers! He wanted to impress me when he went after Toomes! Can't you see? The kid wants to do the right thing. Just… give him the chance to sign," Tony continued. "He only hesitated to sign because he wanted to stay a kid, keep his privacy. He wasn't ready for the attention, Ross! Please!" Tony's voice was a loud, desperate whisper. "Please, Thaddeus. Let. Him. Go. Let him come _home."_

Ross studied Tony carefully before taking a step in his direction and asking, "You want him back?"

Tony didn't answer. Ross knew the answer. The answer was written all over Tony's face.

"You care about him that much, Stark?" Ross was even closer now.

"I'd do anything for that kid. You can lock me away if you want." Tony confirmed.

"Anything?" Ross asked again.

"Yes!" Tony's voice was louder now. Pepper held onto his arm tightly, her face full of concern.

"Ok…" Ross said. "Tell me how to reach Steve Rogers and the others."

 _"Well SHIT!"_ Tony thought. _"That might be the one thing I can't do."_

"I…" Tony began. "Ross… I… it's not that easy!"

"Why not?" Ross demanded.

"It's… I need some time… time to think… I…" he looked back up at Ross. The bastard was smiling as if he'd already won.

"You have 24 hours, Stark." Ross said. "I'll be back by this time tomorrow. For Peter's sake," Ross emphasized, "I would make your decision quickly."

"You hurt him anymore and I swear…"

"I'll be in touch!" Ross interrupted as he turned to exit the room with his men.

"We'll send you more pictures!" Wade added with a nasty wink.

Tony clenched his jaw shut, and Pepper remained silent by his side. They slowly followed Ross and his men back out towards the helipad.

They watched helplessly as Ross left them to stand there, no closer to getting Peter back.

"Oh god…" Tony said as he watched the helicopter pull away.

Pepper looked at him, seeing the fear on his face.

"…I have to call May," he said.


	14. Chapter 14

**I still down own these fabulous characters. They belong to Marvel.**

 **A/N: I really do love Peter, so don't hate me. I just think sometimes characters need to hit rock bottom so that they can realize their full strength. Enjoy!**

Chapter 14: The Raft

May was tired. She had spent way more time than she expected learning how to use all the different features in the new car. Marie's husband had been patient with her, and he took the time to show her how it all worked.

May coughed a little. She was afraid that she was getting a cold. She was driving the car back to Marie's house. She was spending the night there before heading to the compound tomorrow. She only hoped a good night's sleep would help her to feel better. _"I can't get sick now!"_ She thought, _"I've been looking forward to this for weeks!"_

She noticed a shopping center with a pharmacy, and she thought it might be a good idea to stop. She figured it wouldn't hurt to load up on vitamins and purchase some cold medicine just to be on the safe side. She sniffed and thought she might need a nighttime medicine with decongestant. She was definitely going to need that if she hoped to sleep well.

She didn't take long in the store. She knew Marie would expect her back at the house soon. May started the car and was about to put the car in drive when a ringing sound was suddenly filling the small space.

"Shit!" she cursed, jumping at the sound. She looked towards the phone that had been setup to work with the car. She fumbled around a little before she remembered which button to push to answer the call.

"HELLO!" she shouted from the driver's seat, forgetting that it wasn't necessary to yell.

 _ **"May…"** _She heard Tony's voice through the speaker.

"Oh, hey Tony!" She cut in, realizing that she should have called him earlier. "…Sorry! I meant to call you. I have the car. This thing has everything, Tony! I was seriously out of my league, but Joe… Marie's husband… he helped me figure it out! I'm actually using the Bluetooth thingy to talk to you now…"

 _ **"May…"** _Tony tried again.

"Peter is going to love this thing, Tony… I promise you! I know you're skeptical, but this is great! I decided to go with a silver color, red or blue might have too been too obvious," she rambled.

 _ **"MAY!"**_ Tony called to her.

She recognized something in his voice this time. "What?" she asked.

 _ **"Are you driving right now?"**_ Tony asked. He sounded worried, and May could feel goosebumps rising on her arms.

"Umm…no," She told him, looking towards the drug store. "I needed to make a stop. I'm in a parking lot right now, and I was about to head back to Marie's. What's… Is something wrong? Did Peter make it to the compound ok?

There was silence for a moment.

 _"Oh no… this can't be good!"_ she thought.

Tony's voice finally spoke again, **_"May, I want you to stay where you are. I've tracked your car and I can see where you are. I'm sending someone to come get you… Happy will be there."_**

May's breathing picked up. He hadn't answered her question about Peter. "Tony… what's going on?! You didn't answer my question! Is… is Peter alright?"

It was quiet again… too quiet.

 ** _"I'm sending a chopper, May. It will be faster. For the love of god, do NOT go with anyone unless you see Happy!"_** Tony instructed.

"What the hell?" May asked. "A chopper? Tony…" She was growing frantic now because something was definitely wrong. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING? WHERE IS PETER? WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS?" She screamed the last questions into the speaker. He needed to be clearer, damn it!

 ** _"May…"_ **Tony said, his voice clearly distressed. _"Please… let's talk when you get here."_

"WHAT THE F**K IS HAPPENING WITH MY KID?" she yelled, slamming her hands down on the steering wheel in frustration. Her head hurt. She really didn't feel well. Although, now she wasn't sure if it was the stress or illness.

She heard Tony sigh. **_"I'm sorry, May,"_ **he said.

 _"Oh shit!"_ She thought. Those words sounded too much like the words from that police officer when Ben was killed. The officer had come to her door, telling her something about a man with a gun and Ben. Finally, he had just looked at her and said, _"I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker."_ Tony's apology now was too similar. She had to know…

"Is he… is he alive?" fear dripped through her voice as she asked the question. She was already holding back tears.

 ** _"I… he should be fine,"_ **Tony responded.

May breathed a sigh of relief, until she thought more about what he said. She didn't think his answer made much sense.

"He _should_ be?" she asked, completely confused. "What aren't you telling me?"

She heard Tony sigh again, perhaps he even growled in frustration. **_"Damn it, May! I wanted to talk about this in person!"_** Tony sounded exhausted.

"TALK ABOUT WHAT? Please… I'm listening… I'm not going anywhere…" She was pleading with him now. "I don't need all the details, but PLEASE tell me something!"

It seemed like a long time passed before he answered, but in reality, it was only a few seconds.

 ** _"He's with Ross, May,"_ **Tony sounded defeated.

It scared May more than she would like to admit. He wasn't supposed to sound defeated. She would need him in order to survive this because _SHIT!_ This was really bad!

May was speechless. There were no words. She just cried.

Tony must have heard her because the next thing he said was, **_"Don't cry, May. Happy is on his way. We're going to figure this out. Ok? May? Please just say something… I need to know you're still with me."_**

"I'm with you," she said weakly, her voice quiet.

 ** _"Ok. It won't take long for the chopper to get there. Someone else will take care of the car. I'll tell you what I can as soon as you're here."_ **Tony was trying to sound calm. She could tell he wanted to be calm for her.

"Yeah, ok," She answered.

 ** _"We'll talk later. Stay in the car until you see Happy!"_ **With that, the call ended. Tony's voice was gone.

Peter was gone.

May was alone… very much alone.

Happy was coming. She thought it was odd that Tony emphasized that she was supposed to be sure that Happy was there. She thought there was probably a reason for that and assumed she'd find out later.

She quickly sent a text to Marie, telling her that something came up and she couldn't stay. She noticed her hands were shaking.

The world around May seemed to move in slow motion. She could hear her own heartbeat, moving in rhythm with the pounding in her head. She breathed heavily. She clutched her hands to the steering wheel, and she lowered her head to rest on top of them.

She let herself cry. She stayed that way until she heard the sound of a helicopter landing in an empty area of the parking lot and saw Happy running in her direction.

* * *

Tony was in the command center. Rhodes had arrived, and Vision was there now. Pepper filled them in as Tony was breaking the news to May.

It was awful. He hated to tell her over the phone, but he realized that he couldn't make her wait.

He knew Happy would fill her in on the flight to the compound. Happy felt so guilty. There was barely enough time for Happy to apologize to Tony upon his arrival. Tony didn't have time to listen. He just sent Happy with a pilot to bring May back and tell her what was going on. He would let her know how Ross had managed to take Peter into custody. Tony would find a way to fill her in on the rest later.

Time was already passing so quickly. Tony was determined that he could find a solution before Ross returned. Surely, he could get Peter back with the help of Rhodes and Vision in the next 24 hours. He wouldn't need to get Rogers or the others involved. Ross wasn't going to win!

"Incoming message from Secretary Ross," FRIDAY spoke suddenly.

A message blinked on a nearby screen. It looked like a video message. Tony looked at Pepper, Rhodes, and Vision. They simply returned his look. No one moved.

"We should watch it," Rhodes stated.

With a shaky hand, Tony reached forward and opened the message. Below the video was written, "Just a little update for you. Something to help you think about giving me the information I need. -TR"

Tony clicked the video. It expanded and projected in front of the four people in the room. It was a video of Peter. Tony could tell he was in a cell on the raft. He recognized the horizontal bars and cold surroundings. Peter was even dressed in the same blue prison scrubs that the others had worn.

"Oh no," Pepper gasped out.

[The video zoomed in closer to Peter. Ross hadn't wasted any time securing him in a cell, and Peter still had the collar around his neck. Peter looked to be sleeping, but they all knew that they had likely kept him unconscious.]

"God, kid…" Tony whispered to the video as if Peter could hear him. "I'm so sorry."

[The video showed Peter beginning to stir. They watched as it showed him blinking slowly and turning his head to take in his surroundings. Their hearts ached as they watched Peter sit up suddenly, looking scared as he realized where he was.]

"Peter is afraid," Vision stated simply, vocalizing what they were all thinking.

[Peter looked down at himself, grabbing at the prison clothes. They realized the video had audio when they heard the kid speak. _"What the HELL! No… no… no…!"_ Peter walked over towards the bars of the cell, likely looking out for any guards. _"HEY!"_ he called. _"This isn't right! Is there someone out there? I don't belong here!"_ Peter began to pace around the cell. They watched as he stepped forward to try to pull on different things, trying to see if anything would give way to his strength.]

Tony shook his head. From what he could tell, Peter looked pale and weaker than usual. He probably needed food. And forced unconsciousness probably hadn't helped the kid either.

[They watched as Peter started to climb the wall, moving closer to a vent. He was probably hoping he could pull it loose. To their horror, Peter suddenly let out a yell and reached towards his neck. He fell off the wall and slammed to the floor on his back. They heard him gasp for breath as the air had been knocked from his lungs. Someone had activated the collar upon seeing Peter on the wall.]

"Oh, Peter…" Pepper had tears running down her face.

[The camera zoomed in on Peter fighting to catch his breath and curling up in a protective ball on the floor. _"Please…"_ he spoke again, _"Please… somebody… just let me go home!"_ ]

The video stopped. No doubt Ross cut it off there on purpose. Those last words were like daggers to Tony's heart. He would do anything to get Peter home. He just had to think about the best way to do it, and he wasn't convinced that giving up Rogers was the best way. Ross wasn't likely to let Peter go that easily.

The room was silent as everyone was trying to gather their thoughts.

"We can't let May see this," Tony finally said to the others. "It'll be too much…"

"What will?" May's voice entered the room. Happy had brought her down to talk to Tony. "What can't I see, Tony?"

Tony quickly closed the message with the video.

"Was that Peter?" May asked. "Is he ok? Why can't I see it? What's going on?"

"You should have let me know you were here, Happy," he glared at the man, "I would have met you both upstairs. May…" he looked at her, "I'm sorry, but you can't be down here."

"The hell I can't!" She snapped. "Peter is my responsibility! I have a right to be a part of this!"

Tony noticed that she looked very pale, her eyes were beyond tired, and her voice sounded hoarse. He took her by the elbow and led her towards the elevator.

"I've thought a lot about this, May," Tony said. "I will fill you in on everything that you _need_ to know, but I don't think it's good for you to be here while things are happening. This is Avengers business."

The others were silent, not sure if they agreed. They watched as May pulled herself free outside of the elevator and glared at Tony.

"Do you want to get hit again?" she asked. "That's my kid! Avengers business? What the HELL are you talking about? What Avengers? I see two of them here with you, Tony! Who do you think you are? You called me here, and now you want to send me away?" She sounded hurt and confused.

"I'm not sending you away, May!" Tony defended, "I just don't think you need to know exactly what Ross is up to." May was about to protest again, but Tony asked, "What was the ONE THING that Peter worried about?" Tony asked her.

"What?" May wasn't expecting that.

"The one thing… ONE THING…" Tony's voice grew louder. "Don't you remember? He only wanted you to know the things that you needed to know. He wants you SAFE!" Tony lowered his voice and talked quickly, trying to get her to understand. "I owe him this, May. I couldn't protect him, but I can still protect you! Ross hasn't involved you yet! If he sees you here, it could be trouble!"

May just looked confused.

"He's right," Rhodes spoke up and approached them. "The information that comes into this room. The conversations that we have here could be too much information, Mrs. Parker. I know it's hard, but I think Tony is right."

"But…I…" May stopped. She was too exhausted, and this was all too much for her to handle.

Pepper came forward. "Maybe Tony's right. Please trust us, May. How about I take you upstairs? I know what's going on. We'll sit down, and I'll tell you what I know." Pepper looked to Tony to make sure that sounded reasonable. Tony nodded to her, knowing Pepper would know what to say and what to hold back.

"Promise me…" May said, looking at Tony. "Promise me that you'll tell me the truth. I can't handle any more lies."

Tony nodded his head. "No lies… I promise. I just can't let you see or hear anything that would give Ross a reason to target you. I will keep you safe. Peter would want me to keep you safe."

"Ok… I'll go upstairs with Pepper. But first…" May looked determined, and yet very tired. "…I want to know what you were looking at. It was Peter, wasn't it? Please… Tony, let me see him. I need to know that he's ok."

 _"He's not ok,"_ Tony thought. He looked at her before pulling out his phone to access the message there. "It was a video, May," Tony told her honestly, "…A video of Peter on the raft. It's hard to watch, and I don't think you _need_ to see the whole thing. It may not be safe for me to show you that place, but I will select a frame so that you can see him."

May nodded.

Tony selected the moment when Peter was standing up and looking around, he didn't look too bad in that one. He enlarged the image for May to see.

May brought a hand to her mouth to hold back her cry upon seeing Peter. She brought a hand to her own neck when she noticed the collar on Peter. "Oh Peter…what did they?" She looked at Tony, "What is that?"

He knew what she was asking about. He thought for a moment. He wanted to give her an honest answer, containing only what she needed to know. "It's how they control his enhanced abilities," he said finally.

"Oh my god," she gasped and looked at the image again. "At least he's alive." She looked at Pepper. "I think you're right. I'd like to go upstairs now. I don't think I'm feeling well, and I would like to go sit down."

Pepper nodded and led her to the elevator. Happy followed them, seeming to want to help May.

Tony watched them go. May really hadn't looked well, and he wondered if he made a mistake by bringing her back so soon. He also wondered if he would ever do right by the kid. He couldn't seem to keep Peter or May in good health. He felt like a failure. He felt like he was letting everyone down.

* * *

This was a nightmare. Peter was in a living nightmare.

He was scared. He hated to admit it, but he knew that he was very much afraid. He was also determined to keep his fear to himself.

Besides the fear, Peter was fueled by anger. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be taken away so cruelly. He hadn't hurt anyone, so they had no right to hurt him.

He absently rubbed at the collar on his neck. The pulses from that thing were incredibly painful. At first, they were like the taser that Wilson used on him. However, there were times when the pain from the collar was much worse. It was like his insides could burst, like he would explode into a million pieces.

Peter shuddered at the thought. He preferred to remain whole.

Another thing about this place that Peter hated, was the quiet. It was so damn quiet. If he thought that the DODC vault was bad, the was a trillion times worse. He was so bored. The boredom and loneliness alone were enough to kill him.

This prison was absolute hell for a teenager like Peter. He was used to having things to stimulate his brain and keep him busy. There was nothing to do here. It seemed like they wouldn't even let him climb the walls. He could just pace, sit, and sleep. Those seemed to be his only options!

And eating? They hadn't even brought him food yet, which was a serious problem. He needed to eat something soon, or he would probably pass out. Not that these guys would care. They seemed to like when Peter was unconscious.

He had seen a few guards from time to time, but no one really seemed to pay him any attention. Well, there was Wilson. He saw the man once. He gave Peter a wave that could almost pass as friendly. Under different circumstances, someone might think the man was polite. But, Peter learned that it was all part of a game that Wilson liked to play. He was messing with Peter's head. Wilson had also held something out for Peter to see. The man still had Peter's backpack, no doubt with his suit inside. He supposed these people would tuck it away, confiscate it as evidence or something. Peter wondered if he would ever see the suit or talk to KAREN again.

As Peter pondered this, he finally saw someone approaching him with a tray.

 _"Finally!"_ he thought, relieved to get some nourishment. Or he was relieved, at least until the man shoved the tray through a slot on the floor. "Seriously? That's it?!" he said aloud, mostly to himself. "One piece of bread and a small bowl of broth? Oh… how nice! I got a small cup of water, too!"

Peter looked up to see that there was no one there, and he was definitely talking to himself. He shrugged his shoulders and reached for the food. He really was hungry, so he would eat the meager meal gladly.

It didn't take long to finish it, and Peter pushed the tray away.

He noticed that there was a toilet and sink beyond a tiny privacy wall. He would hold off on using that for as long as possible.

Peter finally settled on resting on the uncomfortable slab that was meant to be a bed. He was bored, there was nothing to do, and the stress did make him tired.

He supposed it would be nice to get some rest without it being forced on him.

As he settled in and tried to find a comfortable position, he thought again about his feelings in all this.

If these people wanted Spider-Man, then Spider-Man is who they were going to get… in all his fury!

* * *

Tony and Rhodes had worked through the night, with Vision helping as much as possible. They tried to find dirt on Ross, and they even toyed with some ideas on how to get even. They wondered if they should try to get some leverage of their own, take something or someone important to Ross.

Ultimately, they knew that wasn't an option. They would not stoop to Ross's level.

"We need to be better, gather evidence against him in this," Rhodes said. "I have connections in Washington. Ross will try to play this off as making a criminal arrest, but I think we could find something to use against him. We could prove that he should not be the one here calling the shots. People will see him as the criminal, not the enhanced persons he arrests."

Tony sighed, "I hope you're right, but it doesn't help us right now! We've been up all night, skipped breakfast…"

"We should eat something for lunch, Tony. We can't help Peter if we aren't taking care of ourselves," Rhodes commented.

Tony looked over at the clock. Lunch? How did the time go by so quickly? How were they no closer to finding a solution? "Tell me again why you and I can't fly there with Vision? We could take that place so easily!" Tony exclaimed.

"Wouldn't Ross just love that," Rhodes said. "He'd probably have cameras ready to capture the whole thing. Then he'd have reason to lock us away for good, along with Peter. He could do whatever he wanted to us at that prison, make us give up Steve and the others."

Tony blinked, "I'm surprised he hasn't done that."

"He can't, Tony," Rhodes explained. "No one would let him get away with detaining us since we signed the Accords. It's easier for him to control us this way, unfortunately."

"Yeah…" Tony said, sitting down and rubbing a hand over his tired face. "…It's unfortunate for Peter. He doesn't deserve to be used like this. He's not a bargaining chip. This wouldn't have happened if I had kept the kid at a distance."

"Tony, don't do that!" Rhodes protested. "Peter could still be locked away right now, even if he had never met you. His relationship with you… it's probably giving him some hope. He knows that we'll find a way to get him out of there."

"Will we?" Tony asked, standing up to look at his friend. "Do we have a way to get him out?"

Rhodes was quiet and looked towards Vision was listening quietly from across the room. "I think you need to consider calling Steve," he said.

"What?" Tony asked. "No… that's not an option."

"I do not understand," Vision finally spoke. "Does not the Captain have the most knowledge on how to break into that prison?"

"I don't get it either," Rhodes added. "I thought you were angry with Steve. Why protect him?"

Tony shook his head, "It's not about protecting _him_. He can be locked away in that hell hole with that serial killer friend of his for all I care."

Tony put his hands on his hips and looked at Vision and Rhodes. "Peter has taught me to think of others, not just myself. If I were thinking of myself here, I would hand that information over to Ross in a heartbeat. Maybe then I would feel some sense of justice for what was done to my parents… what Cap knew was done to my parents!"

Vision and Rhodes stared at Tony, saying nothing.

"You didn't see them in that place," Tony added sadly. "Wanda, Sam, Clint, that other guy…"

"Scott Lang…" Vision offered.

"…Sure him!" Tony said. "They didn't deserve to be placed on that thing. It wasn't right. How can I give Ross information that could put them right back there?" He shrugged. "Sure Clint and… uh… Scott made a deal. They're on house arrest. But Wanda?" he looked at Vision. "Sam? Natasha?" He looked at Rhodes. "How do I justify that? I can't get them involved. This is my fault. I need to figure it out."

"So, we call him," Rhodes said again.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" Tony asked.

"Yes… we call him," Rhodes gave Tony a pointed look and continued before Tony could argue again. "If you're worried, then we call Steve. We warn him, tell him what's happening. He can warn the others. They go deep into hiding, somewhere Ross can't get to them."

"You really think Steve would stay out of it?" Tony asked. "He and the others will get involved, you know they will."

"But it would be their choice…" Vision offered. "Perhaps it is not our place to choose for them."

Tony was pacing and shaking his head. "If only we had been able to get through to King T'Challa," he said, referring to the Black Panther. "If he gets our message, then maybe he can help…"

"You heard what's on the news, Tony," Rhodes said. "Wakanda is opening their boarders. I imagine he has his hands full right now."

Before they could continue their conversation, Pepper stepped into the room. Tony wondered if she had somehow been listening to their conversation because she was carrying a familiar black flip phone in her hands.

"May is resting," she said, walking up to Tony. She held out the phone for him, "I grabbed this from our room. I think you should have it with you."

Tony just looked at her, then turned to the others in the room.

It seemed the choice was made. "What if this turns bad?" Tony asked. "It could be taken out on Peter!"

"What if it can help?" Pepper countered back.

Tony took the flip phone and stared at it. He looked back at Pepper. He noticed she had a strange look on her face. Was it guilt? It was strange, but Tony figured she probably felt bad for forcing him to make this call.

He opened up the phone and scrolled to Steve's number. He didn't even get to hit the "call" button.

"Sir," FRIDAY called to him. "It seems Ross has come back early."

"Damn it!" Tony cursed. He looked at the others in the room.

"We go up and face him together. He can't be down here." He sighed, filled with regret.

He looked at Rhodes, "It's too late. There's going to be no warning the others now." He shoved the phone into his pocket and moved towards the elevator to go up to the helipad. The others followed closely behind.

As they all got on the elevator, he added, "I think we're officially out of options."

However, Tony often had a way of forgetting—someone was always watching his back. Not all was lost, and Tony would learn the meaning of family once again.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I don't know why I felt the need to mess with Peter a little in this chapter, but the idea and dialogue entered my mind, and I just had to go with it. Don't hate me. This chapter isn't as long as some others, but there should be just enough to keep us moving in the right direction.**

Chapter 15: The Call

Peter was cold. _"When did it get so cold?"_ he thought to himself.

He was lying on his back, and he noted that the sleeping accommodations were anything but comfortable.

He went to wipe his hands over his face, but he couldn't seem to move them from his side. _"Strange,"_ he thought.

He opened his eyes to figure out what was happening, and he realized that he was no longer in his cell. _"How the hell did I get here? Where is here?"_ he wondered to himself.

Looking down, he saw that he was strapped down to a cold table. Oddly enough, the table was in an upright position so that it was more like he was standing.

The most alarming part, however, was Peter's reason for being cold. _"Where did my shirt go?"_ he wondered. He looked further down. _"and where f**k are my pants?_ " The only comfort was that he could see that his boxers were in place… it was a very small comfort.

He sensed that someone was about to walk into the room, and he turned his head in the direction of the door. A woman in a white lab coat walked in with a tablet and what looked to be some small electrical device. He still felt the collar around his neck, so he hoped it wasn't something to activate that unpleasant contraption.

 _"You're Spider-Man!"_ Peter told himself. _"You got this. Don't let them scare you!"_

He cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. She looked up at him with a quirk in her brow.

"Ahem…hi there, I don't suppose you're going to tell me what the room change is all about?" he quipped.

She looked bored. "My name is Dr. Connelley. I am simply here to run a few tests and make some notes to your file." Her voice was monotonous, and her manner was clinical. "I do apologize for the change of scenery, but the cells really aren't conducive to my research." She made a note on the tablet (it reminded him of an iPad, only a little more advanced).

"Right… How did I get here exactly?" he asked.

"Hmm…" The doctor didn't look up, but stayed busy on her tablet, hitting things on the screen. "The guards brought you in. I didn't really ask them for details."

"Uh huh… and you took my clothes because?" he was growing impatient with the doctor.

"It's easier to study your muscle growth and physique," She answered. "I must say that I do not know too many young men your age with this kind of muscle definition and strength. Tell me… is this something that came about as a result of your mutation?"

Peter just gaped at her. Was she seriously expecting him to talk to her as if this was some kind of routine check-up with his family doctor? "Umm… yes… maybe… I… uhh…" He really didn't want to cooperate and play along, "You know… I do appreciate that you allowed me to keep some of my clothes, but I think there are still laws against staring at kids in their underwear."

"Oh, but you're not a normal kid, Mr. Parker," She finally stopped to look him in the eye. "And the typical rules don't apply here." She shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, I am a professional. I've already seen it all, and nothing surprises me."

"Ok…but you haven't seen all of me, though… right?" He swallowed. He wasn't really comfortable with that.

She simply shrugged and started tapping on the tablet again.

 _"What the hell? She's kidding with me, right?"_ he swallowed. He would keep joking… he would show no fear. "Listen, I think I should know what all you examined. I'm still just 15! I've barely reached first base with my girlfriend, so I think I should know…"

"I think I prefer it when you're unconscious." She said, cutting off his rambling. "Is all this talking a product of your enhanced abilities, or an unfortunate side effect of your youth?"

"Hah! Yeah… you're funny, doc! Listen… if I'm going to be put through an examination, I just think I have a right to some answers!" He looked down, "…and maybe a little dignity!" he added.

"Perhaps, I haven't been clear," she said. "In here, you have no rights. _Things_ like you… don't really qualify for the standard human rights. I've seen your DNA. I'm not even sure you can be considered 100% human. Your blood is clearly _mutated_." He didn't miss the way she spat out the last word.

Peter blinked at her, dropping his jaw open. That one hurt a little, but he was not going to let it show. Instead he just looked at her and said, "It's called bedside manner, doc. Look it up!"

She held up the other electrical device, causing Peter to shrink back in fear.

She gave him a curious look and pressed a button, "The subject appears to have enhanced muscle formation for his age and development…" she walked off through the door from which she had entered earlier.

Peter let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. _"It was a voice recorder. Thank god!"_

His relief was short lived. Wilson walked in with the other remote. "Time to go back!" he said cheerfully and held the remote.

"Aw…come on!" Peter complained. Then came the pulse and Peter's world was dark again.

* * *

Tony once again found himself in the same room where he and Pepper had met with Ross earlier. This time, however, Tony had even more support with him. Rhodes, Vision, and Pepper were there to help Tony face Ross the second time.

Ross had the same men; although, Wade seemed to have more influence than the other men in the group.

"A little early, aren't you?" Tony spat. "How's Peter?" he added with concern.

"You know I'm not a patient man, Stark, and the kid is fine," Ross stated. "I'll even give you some proof." He nodded to Wade, who pulled out a laptop. He was clearly getting something ready to show the others.

"If you plan to get anything from me," Tony warned. "The kid better be unharmed."

Before long, Wade pulled up a picture saying, "This is only from a short time ago. I think you'll like it."

The Avengers in the room stepped forward to get a closer look. None of them were happy about what they saw.

Tony's face grew angry. "Why in the hell is he strapped down? Why did you take his clothes? What's the matter with you, Ross! He's a 15-year-old kid!"

"Relax, Tony!" Ross said, clearly enjoying the anguish in Tony's voice. "Can't you see? No bruises. He's fine. He was just getting a little physical exam from one of our doctors. We have a right to learn more about his enhanced abilities. We need to know more about what makes him so dangerous."

This time it was Rhodes who spoke, "And what do they have to say about this in Washington? Do they even know what's going on in that prison? With a minor?"

Ross looked a little more uncomfortable with Rhodes. He knew that Rhodes had some strong connections in D.C., so he answered the question carefully. "Colonel Rhodes, the raft prison exists to contain enhanced individuals that are deemed a threat to the general public. I have detained an enhanced individual who is in clear violation of the Accords. Age is of no importance when it comes to enhanced persons, especially when their abilities violate the rights of other human beings. I am willing to negotiate the terms of Mr. Parker's imprisonment if" he looked at Tony, "Mr. Stark agrees to tell me what he knows about Rogers and the prisoners he broke out of the raft after Germany!"

"Peter hasn't violated the rights of anyone!" Tony protested. "He's only ever wanted to help people in their _pursuit of happiness_ … or whatever you want to call it!"

Rhodes cut in, shaking his head, "You can try to hide behind the Accords all you want, Ross. But this is kidnapping and ransom. You took a kid against his will. You locked him up. And you're asking us to give you Rogers and the others in exchange for his release. You can try to hide behind your supposed 'criminal charges,' but there will be people who see this for what it is… as long as I have something to say about it!"

Ross looked smugly back at Rhodes, "His release? Hmm… I don't know if I really said anything about his release."

"It was clearly implied when we spoke earlier you son-of…" Tony was cut off.

"As long as Colonel Rhodes wants to make threats against my reputation, any thought of release may be off the table." Ross explained.

"Then you're getting nothing on Rogers!" Tony argued. "I want Peter's guaranteed release from that prison. No! I want any charges dropped, so that he can't just be transferred somewhere else. He needs to be allowed to come home. Give him the chance to sign the damn Accords and promise that the kid will be able to come home!"

Ross and Wade exchanged a look. "Colonel Rhodes?" Ross asked.

Rhodes sighed, "Do the right thing, Ross. Tell us the kid can sign and come home. Do that and I'll back up whatever story you feed back to D.C."

"You'll tell me how to contact Steve Rogers?" Ross asked.

Vision had been listening along with Pepper. Neither one felt the need to speak until now. "Is it not better to put this agreement in writing?" Vision asked.

"You'll get my word," Ross said. "My word will be enough."

Tony scoffed, "Your word means shit!"

"You just don't want a paper trail!" Rhodes accused.

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Pepper spoke up suddenly. "What do you want next, Ross? The next steps… what is it that you want? How do we start the process of getting Peter home?"

"It's rather simple…" he looked at Tony. "…you put me in contact with Rogers. Tell me where he is."

"I don't know where he is," Tony said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the flip phone, allowing Ross to see it. "But I do have a way to find out."

"Not really your style is it, Stark?" Ross asked Tony. He knew Tony wasn't the type to carry around outdated technology.

Tony wasn't in the mood. "Steve Rogers sent this to me!" he snapped. "For Rogers, this device is pretty advanced."

"Call him!" Ross demanded. "Make sure it's on speaker. Get him to tell you where he is and who's with him." He looked over toward Wade and the laptop. "Get ready to trace the call. We want to be sure that we are given the correct location."

Tony briefly thought about saying something about having his own equipment to trace the call but thought better of it. He flipped the phone open and scrolled to Steve's number. He stared down at the phone, hating what he was about to do.

"What are you waiting for, Stark?" Ross demanded. "Make the call. Now!"

Tony finally hit the button and placed the phone on speaker.

Pepper could see the pain and anguish all over Tony's face. She knew he wasn't ready to talk to Steve, especially under these circumstances. Steve had betrayed Tony's trust, and now Tony was about to do the same thing back to Steve. She couldn't help but wonder if the two men would ever be able to mend their broken friendship. Her thoughts were interrupted when the voice of Steve Roger's answered the ringing phone.

 _"Hello?"_ Steve's voice was surprised. _"Tony? Is that you?"_

Tony's face went white, and his breathing went shallow. He didn't expect the flashbacks. He could still feel the blows that rained down on him from Barnes and Rogers. This man was supposed to be his friend, but he had lied and hurt him badly in Siberia. He knew he needed to speak, but this was all so complicated. He just couldn't seem to find the words.

 _"Tony? Are you there?"_ Steve tried again.

Tony looked helplessly at Rhodes, who answered instead. "Cap, this is Rhodes," he said.

 _"Rhodes? What's going on? Is Tony ok?"_ Steve asked.

"Yeah… he's here… he's ok," Rhodes told him. "He's just having a little trouble with his words, I think. It's been a rough 24 hours."

Steve was quiet for a moment, likely absorbing the fact that Tony couldn't quite bring himself to speak. _"What's going on, Rhodes? How can I help?"_

"We're in a bit of trouble here," Rhodes said. He looked up to see Ross giving him a threatening look. He knew he shouldn't give away what was really going on. "We could definitely use some reinforcements. Is there anyone else there with you?"

 _"Sam and Natasha aren't far away. We haven't heard an update from Wanda yet. You sound distressed. Mind telling me what we're dealing with?"_ Steve said.

The others noticed Vision relax a little, knowing that Wanda wasn't there.

"It's too dangerous to talk about over the phone," Rhodes lied, noticing that Ross looked pleased. "I think we should talk in person. Can you tell us where you are?"

Tony was still quiet. He felt sick. The whole situation felt surreal. He looked over and saw that Wade was making progress on tracing the call, so they would find out if Steve's response was honest.

 _"We're in South America. We're not far from Belem in Brazil."_ Steve told them.

The others looked over towards Wade, who was working furiously on the computer. Wade gave Ross a nod, indicating that Steve was being honest.

"That's great, Steve. We'll be in touch again as soon as we are closer to you." Rhodes said.

He noticed Ross mouthing the words _in a few days_.

"Uh…it could be a few days, Steve. It seems we need to take care of a few things before we can make our way to you," Rhodes added.

Tony looked over towards Ross, confusion all over his face. Would Ross really wait that long? He hated to leave Peter on the raft prison any longer than necessary.

 _"Copy that, Rhodes. I'll talk to Sam and Natasha. We'll be ready."_ Steve confirmed

The guilt was overwhelming, but Rhodes said, "Thank you, Steve. We'll be in touch."

Tony reached over and ending the call.

There was silence in the room.

"You made the right decision," Ross said smugly.

Tony doubted that. He had to ask, "Why wait a few days? What game are you playing here?"

"I need to send a team down to Brazil. I want no mistakes. I'll have my team make sure that they can take them without any problems; therefore, they will need a little time," Ross explained.

"And what happens to Peter during that time?" Tony asked enraged. "I don't want that doctor examining him, Ross. Let the kid have some peace!"

"I can't make you any promises," Ross said. "…but if you cooperate and keep Iron Man and his buddies at home, then I'm sure Mr. Parker will be just fine."

"So, what? We're on house arrest?" Tony said angrily.

"Not at all. I'm just warning you to stay out of it from here. It's the best thing Iron Man can do for Spider-Man. Understood?" Ross asked, not bothering to veil the threat behind the words. "Oh…" he added. "…and we'll be confiscating this." Ross picked up the phone.

Tony wanted to protest, but he was just too tired.

Ross and his men gathered up their things and made their way back out of the compound.

The others weren't happy, but there was nothing else to be said. They felt completely lost and defeated. They could only hope that Cap and the others would be able to take care of themselves from here.

* * *

Tony, Pepper, Rhodes, and Vision were making their way back to the command center when Happy stopped them in the hallway, looking distressed.

"Happy?" Pepper asked, "Is everything ok? I thought you were looking after May?

"That's why I'm here. She's really sick, she seems to have a high fever. I contacted Dr. Cho. She's going to check on her, but I'm really worried," Happy explained.

"That's great…" Tony said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's exactly what we need!" He scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Tony…" Pepper said. "You're exhausted. Let me take you upstairs to rest. If May's sick, we all need to be careful. We can't help Peter if we get sick as well. If you don't sleep, your immunity will be down even more than it probably already is."

"She's right, Tony. There's nothing we can do right now anyway." Rhodes said.

"I think I shall head up to my room," Vision said. "Perhaps I can help upstairs. I am not at risk of developing an illness."

They nodded to him and watched as he floated up and fazed through the floor. Tony just shook his head and watched him leave.

"You sticking around, Rhodey?" Tony asked his friend.

"Yeah, Tony. I'm not going anywhere," Rhodes confirmed. "I think I'll try getting some sleep as well. We can meet up later and see if there is anything that we might be able to do. I don't think any of us are in a condition to formulate a plan right now."

"It's settled then," Pepper said. "We'll get some rest. Happy, are you able to meet with Dr. Cho?"

Happy looked a little tired himself, but he had managed to rest more than the others. He agreed to meet with the doctor and give them an update once they had gotten some rest of their own.

Everything was a blur for Tony as Pepper led him to their private area on the fourth floor. He got off the elevator and looked around. He heard Pepper say something about getting the shower ready for him, but he didn't move. He felt numb. Slowly, he made his way over to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and grabbed something to stop the headache that was starting to form.

As he swallowed the water, his eyes caught sight of something stuck to the side of the refrigerator. Magnets were holding the plastic frame containing the picture that was made by a younger Peter. He looked at the picture on the front and thought about the words that he knew were written on the back. Tony choked back some tears.

 _"I'm so sorry, kid," he thought. "Iron Man hasn't helped you at all."_

The guilt shot through him in waves and made him crumble in grief. He placed his hands on the counter to steady himself. He barely noticed when Pepper came out and led him by the shoulders to their room.

She helped him clean up quickly before guiding him to the bed. They laid down together, with Pepper holding Tony close. She rubbed his back as the exhaustion took him over and he fell into a sleep full of nightmares and visions of Peter suffering in that god forsaken prison with no sign of Iron Man coming to help.

* * *

Peter was relieved to find himself back in his cell with his prison attire intact. He supposed the examination by the doctor could have been worse.

He hated that he wasn't able to do more to protect himself. The combination of little food and the cursed collar made it difficult for him to fight back.

If only he could find a way to get the remote out of Wilson's hands. Maybe then he would be able to fight back and find a way out.

Of course, that didn't solve the problem of being weakened by a lack of food. _"But surely I could still over-power them,"_ He thought, _"And there's no way these guards don't have some way of getting themselves off this raft and back to land."_

Peter knew the likelihood of getting a chance to escape was slim, but he allowed himself to imagine what he could do to fight back and get out. It helped pass the time and gave him some sense of hope. Plus, he knew Tony and Aunt May would never let them keep him here. Surely, they were doing something for him back home. They must know by now what was happening, right? He shuddered at the thought of being stuck on the raft without their knowledge.

His thoughts were interrupted by a guard approaching with a tray of food. When it came into the room, Peter was surprised to see a heartier meal. He had twice the amount of bread, and the bowl was large and contained more than broth. He could see noodles, meat, and vegetables filling the bowl. Plus, there was a small pitcher to refill his water.

Peter walked towards the meal eagerly and looked up at the guard that brought it to him.

"Compliments of Secretary Ross," The guard said. "Apparently Tony Stark is cooperating." He shrugged, "And the doc says you should eat more." With that, the guard was gone.

Peter grabbed up the food and immediately began to eat. As he ate the meal, he thought, " _So Mr. Stark does know I'm here! He's trying to help!"_ He tried not to think about what that might mean. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what it meant if Iron Man was cooperating with Ross. He also realized that the doctor's exams weren't so bad if it meant she ordered them to give him more food.

 _"They may just give me a fighting chance after all,"_ he thought to himself with a small smile.

* * *

"It was late on Sunday morning when Tony awoke. He hated that he slept for so long, but Pepper insisted that it was necessary for him to rest.

FRIDAY informed him that Dr. Cho was with Happy and Rhodes on third floor, and she wished to speak with him.

After he and Pepper made themselves presentable, they made their way down to meet the others.

"Mr. Stark," Dr. Cho greeted Tony with a shake of his hand before repeating the action with Pepper, "Ms. Potts." She looked at them seriously, "I do hope you were both able to get some rest. Mr. Hogan and Colonel Rhodes filled me in on the situation you're dealing with. You're going to need your strength to manage Ross. Plus…" She looked towards May's room, "I'm afraid Mrs. Parker has come down with the flu. It's a little late in the season, but we have a particularly nasty strain of the flu going around this year. It's not surprising."

Tony took a deep breath. He wasn't worried about Helen Cho's knowledge of the situation with Ross. He knew he could trust her. He just wished that the news on May were better. "Will she be alright?" Tony asked, "With the kid… being away… I was hoping to take care of her. She's the only family that he has left."

Dr. Cho offered him a knowing smile, "I understand, and you do not need to worry. I expect that Mrs. Parker will be fine. I have set her up in her room with an IV drip that is giving her some helpful fluids and vitamins. I can also give her what she needs to rest, so hopefully her recovery will be quick." She looked at the others. "My main concern now is all of you. I'm glad you were able to rest, and I will have to ask you to continue to take care of yourselves. It would do Mr. Parker no good to have anyone else taken out by illness. I suggest you stay out of her room. You should be ok on this floor. I had someone come up and disinfect the main area here. Mr. Hogan has agreed to help me look after her moving forward."

"Rhodes filled me in, so I can give May an update on getting Peter home the next time she is awake," Happy offered.

Tony and Pepper nodded. "Shouldn't she be in the medical wing of the compound?" Pepper asked.

"I do not think that is necessary. She is comfortable in her own room for now. If she shows signs of getting worse, then we can think about moving her. For now, I think it is best to let her rest in a place where she is comfortable," Helen explained.

"Ok," Tony said. "Thank you for being here, doctor."

"I'm glad to help," she said. She gave Tony a look. "I know you, Mr. Stark. I will be keeping a close eye on you. If you don't continue to give yourself the time to rest, I'm not afraid to give you something to make you sleep." She smiled before adding, "Now, have you had anything to eat? Your body will need food to stay strong, too, you know?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom. I do know how that works!"

She gave him a look before he admitted, "Yes…I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria with Pepper now. Rhodey… care to join us?"

The man nodded his head to accept the offer. "Yeah… we can discuss some important new developments as we eat."

"What's up?" Tony asked, not bothering to hide his concern. There were any number of things that could be wrong.

"It's Vision," Rhodes said.

Tony looked around and realized for the first time that the android was missing. "What about Vision? Where is he, anyway?"

"That's just the thing," Rhodes explained. "He's not here, Tony. I think he may have gone to look for Wanda."

Tony rubbed his hand over his face. "That's just great," he said, being completely facetious. "Do you know when he left? Or worse… do we have reason to believe that Ross knows he left?"

"I'm not sure," Rhodes admitted, heading towards the elevator. "Let's talk about it more downstairs."

Tony nodded as he and Pepper followed his friend, leaving Happy and Dr. Cho to look after May. Tony couldn't believe all this.

Peter was still trapped on the raft.

May was really sick.

Ross was preparing to take down Steve, Natasha, and Sam.

Vision took off to find Wanda.

And the rest of them were stuck at the compound to figure it all out.

 _"I hope we can figure this out,"_ Tony thought, _"And soon! I can't take this much longer! There has to be a way to sort this out. There just has to be!"_

* * *

 **Will Ross succeed in his mission against Steve, Natasha, and Sam?**

 **Did Vision really go to look for Wanda?**

 **Will Peter get an upper hand against his captors?**

 **Will the sickness spread at the compound?**

 **And just who was watching Tony's back?**

 **Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **A/N: This chapter was more of a challenge than I anticipated. It's hard to give just enough information to keep the story moving without giving away all my secrets. Don't forget to review and share your thoughts. The next chapter should help to answer a few burning questions.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Same old disclaimer… blah blah blah… Marvel owns them all!**

Chapter 16: Trapped

Ned was frustrated. It was Monday afternoon, and he had been trying to call Happy Hogan all weekend without success.

He had been excited to see the man's number on his caller ID the previous Friday, but the phone call took a turn for the worse when Ned realized that Peter was never supposed to be picked up from school.

Ned felt like the whole situation was completely unfair. He and Michelle kept their promise to Peter, and they helped him keep his Spider-Man identity a secret. Furthermore, MJ was texting him about being worried. She was trying to get a hold of Peter, and he wasn't answering his phone—it went straight to voicemail. Therefore, she was also getting a bad feeling.

Just when Ned was about to give up on hearing anything at all, Happy Hogan's number flashed on his screen as the phone rang. Ned picked up immediately.

"Mr. Happy? Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all weekend! Is Peter ok? Is he with you? Can I—"

 _"Woah, woah!"_ Happy cut in. _"Take it easy kid. It's been a long weekend here."_

Ned didn't miss the exhaustion in the other man's voice. If he thought there was something wrong before, now he _knew_ that something wasn't right.

He heard Happy take a deep breath on the other end of the phone. _"Listen, Ned. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. When I saw that you were trying to contact me, I talked to Tony. We think it's only fair to give you some idea of what's happening."_

"Peter's ok, right?" Ned asked, his anxiety increasing.

 _"We know how you and Michelle have looked out for Peter. You deserve to know things, but I need you to understand that I cannot tell you everything. Can you understand?"_ Happy asked seriously.

"Ye-yes, s-sir," Ned stuttered. He had a really bad feeling about this.

 _"Peter isn't here."_ Happy told him. _"He's not upstate. All that I can tell you is that he is in a bit of trouble, but we're doing everything that we can to help him."_

That was vague, but Ned supposed that he should appreciate even that much information. "Can I… I mean… is there anything that I can do to help him?" Ned asked, feeling helpless.

 _"I don't think so. Sorry."_ Happy said in response.

"Can I at least tell MJ what you told me? She's been worried since she hasn't been able to get Peter on his phone," Ned clarified.

 _"I think that's fair,"_ Happy said. _"But the two of you need to keep this to yourselves. I know that's hard, but it could make things harder for Peter if others know that he is in trouble."_

"Can you… I mean… What kind of trouble is he in? Can you tell me anything about it? Is he going to be ok?" Ned asked, desperate to know something more about his friend.

 _"I believe he will be ok, Ned. It will be up to Peter to tell you more when he is back."_ Happy said. _"And, yes, we will get him back here. It's just unclear as to how quickly that will happen."_

"Wait! What about his birthday?" Ned asked. Then he thought of something else. "My mom was supposed to host a party for him at our house this Friday. She hasn't been able to get a hold of May. What should I tell her?"

 _"Oh man! I… uh… yeah… geez, the kid's birthday is this week. Talk about bad timing,"_ Happy said. Although, Ned thought the last part was something that he was saying more to himself. _"Listen, May is sick. That's why your mom hasn't been able to contact her. We brought her upstate when… um… the trouble started. It turns out she's come down with a bad case of the flu."_

"Poor May!" Ned said. "Will she be alright?"

 _"She should be fine. We have a doctor here who's looking after her."_ Happy was a quiet a moment before adding, _"Listen, Ned. I need you to tell your mom something, so that she isn't suspicious. I want you to tell her that the party for Friday needs to be postponed. Tell her that May came upstate to pick up Peter from his internship retreat but became very sick while she was here. Tell her that May is being cared for upstate and Peter doesn't want to leave her alone. I think it will be best to put Friday's celebration on hold."_

"Will it take that long to get Peter back upstate and out of trouble?" Ned asked. There was really no hiding the worry in his voice.

 _"I hope not. As a matter of fact, we're hoping to have him out of trouble before his birthday. I just think he may not feel up to attending a big party right away."_ Happy clarified.

"What about Thursday, the day of his birthday? MJ and I were supposed to come up and celebrate with him there," Ned reminded Happy.

 _"Right… let me get back to you on that, kid. For now, let's plan on keeping that on the schedule. We can tell your mom that we want Peter's friends with him on his birthday. He isn't the one who's sick, so I think it could still make sense to have you come up to see him. And…"_ Happy added, _"I want to believe that he'll be back here on his birthday. When he is… I think he would like to see his friends."_

Ned didn't miss the sound of uncertainty in Happy's voice. The man was trying to convince himself that Peter would be back. Ned knew that Peter must be in serious trouble if the Avengers didn't have a better idea of when Peter would return.

"Ok, Mr. Happy. I'll take care of things here. I'll let my mom know about May, and I'll tell MJ what you told me. I can at least do that much for Peter," Ned said.

 _"That's great, kid. Thanks."_ Happy told him. _"I have to go now, ok. We'll talk later."_

"Ok. Thank you for calling, Mr. Happy. Bye." Ned hung up the phone and stared at it in his hand. He felt sick with worry. Happy Hogan always talked to Ned with an edge of annoyance and impatience, but this time was different. He had never heard Mr. Stark's head of security sound so serious or worn out.

He prayed that Peter was going to be ok. He decided to call MJ first, knowing that she was anxious to hear something. He figured he'd invite her over, so they could talk to his mom together. Plus, he was going to need her help contacting the kids from school to let them know that there wouldn't be a party at his house on Friday after all.

* * *

It was early Tuesday morning. Natasha was staring out the window, taking in the surroundings. It had been days since they first received the phone call from Rhodes and Tony. "We've been waiting for a while," Natasha said to Steve. "It's going on three days now. Do you think they're still coming?"

"They're coming," Steve said simply. He looked over to Sam who was standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, we just wait?" Sam asked with annoyance. "The three of us are just going to sit on our asses and wait for them?"

Natasha and Steve simply looked back him, knowing that they didn't really need to give him an answer.

Steve let out a sigh, "I owe him at least this much, Sam. I'm going to wait here for as long as it takes. I told you that you didn't have to stay."

Sam shook his head. He was undoubtably loyal to Steve, so there was no way that Sam was going to leave him to await their arrival alone. "You know I won't leave you, Cap. You've risked too much for me. It's only fair that I stay to back you up."

"Will you be ok?" Natasha asked Steve. "I know this hasn't been easy for you. I saw the disappointment on your face when Rhodes was speaking for Tony."

Steve stood up and took a few steps towards the same window where Natasha was standing. "I hurt him, Nat. Both physically and emotionally. We fought hard, and I don't know that he will ever forgive me for the scars that I gave him." Steve thought for a moment, "I should have told him about his parents. It's always important to tell the truth, but I convinced myself that it was better for him to believe that it had all been an accident."

"You didn't know that it was Barnes," Natasha reminded him.

"No…" Steve said, "…but maybe things would have been different if he at least knew that their death had been a professional hit."

"Come on, Steve," Sam said. "Let's be real. Tony would have attacked Barnes even if you had told him it was a hit."

"And you still would have fought to protect Barnes from Tony," Natasha added.

"It's true," Steve confessed. "I just wish Tony could understand. I never meant to betray him, but I feel responsible for what happened to Bucky. I need to protect him. Bucky deserves to get his life back and make amends." He looked over to Natasha and added, "He deserves a chance to wipe the red from his own ledger."

Natasha nodded in understanding.

Sam took a step towards his friends. "I get the need to try to make things right with Stark." They looked at him. "I'm just going to go on record and say that I don't think this will end well."

Natasha and Steve gave their friend a sad smile. They agreed with Sam. They knew it wasn't exactly going to end well.

* * *

Peter was confused, and maybe even a little angry. He couldn't understand why he was still in this place. He thought Mr. Stark was doing something to help him. Peter dreaded the idea of being stuck on the prison raft for his birthday. After all, if he was there for one birthday, wasn't it possible that there could be other birthdays on the raft as well? He shuddered at the thought.

Peter had looked for a way to possibly help himself, but they didn't give him any real opportunity. It was Saturday morning when he met the doctor, and they had only taken him to her again the day before. Peter hadn't even known what day it was until she told him it was Monday. The doctor only made some notes about how his new diet was impacting him before returning him to his cell. The damn collar gave him no chance to fight back.

Today was the start of day 4, Tuesday morning. He hated this place. He didn't want to stay here. He wanted someone to get him out!

Peter was pulled from his thoughts when his breakfast tray was slid into the cell. This morning he was given 2 bowls of oatmeal and 2 slices of toast with a side of more water. Water was about the only beverage he was given. He already missed the taste of his morning orange juice. As Peter got up to grab the tray, he noticed Wilson standing outside of his cell, and Peter realized he must have brought him the meal.

"What's the matter, little spider?" Wilson asked. Peter could tell that the man was taunting him by the way he stuck out his lip and talked to him like a child. "Little Peter looks so sad," Wilson continued. "Is it because your Iron-Daddy left you here? Hmm?"

"What's your problem, dude?" Peter asked in annoyance. "Why are you even still here? Doesn't Ross miss his lap dog by now?" If Wilson got to tease him, Peter would definitely take some shots of his own.

Wilson just gave a huff an annoyance at Peter's remark. "I'm right where I'm supposed to be," Wilson said. He took another step towards the cell, lowered his voice and gave a menacing glare at Peter. "And so are you," he added, "All locked up… Right. Where. You. Should. Be." He emphasized the last words, using them to torment Peter.

"I DON'T BELONG HERE!" Peter yelled suddenly, smashing his fists against the bars. "Tell me what I did wrong! I never hurt anyone! I want to help people, not hurt them!"

"Aww…" Wilson continued to taunt Peter. "Don't throw a tantrum little Peter! You'll get all worked up for nothing!"

Peter stepped away from the bars for a moment, trying to collect himself. He turned back to Wilson and said, "You never told me who it was."

Wilson looked confused. "I'm sorry, little boy, but you're going to have to be more specific."

"Who told Ross about Spider-Man? How did he find out?" Peter asked. It was a question that was burning on his mind. He didn't believe that Ned or MJ would ever betray his trust. Neither would anyone from the Avengers compound. Certainly not May or Tony.

"Oh…" Wilson said slowly. "I see. The little spider wants to know who let the cat out of the bag?"

Peter just stared back and waited to see if Wilson even had the answer.

The man lowered his voice again, as if trying to tell Peter a secret that he didn't want anyone else to hear. "I guess you could say that "a little birdy" told him," Wilson said.

Peter was confused, "what?"

"You know… _a bird_. Come on, genius. Surely you can figure out what _little birdy_ spilled your secret?" Wilson said. He shrugged his shoulders a little. "I guess I could call him a _big bird_ …a little on the older side, too."

Suddenly, Peter knew without a doubt who had told Ross his secret. "No…" he said. "Toomes… Oh my god."

"Ding ding ding! Give the boy a prize!" Wilson teased.

"But he's… I mean they…" Peter looked utterly horrified. "He didn't actually kill _himself_ , did he?" Peter accused.

"Oh…" Wilson waved his hands in front of him. "I can't talk about that. _Officially_ Toomes hanged himself."

"And _unofficially_?" Peter spat, shaking his head. "Oh god… his family… Liz… this can't be happening. This is all my fault." The lasts words came out just above a whisper.

"Aww… pity party for Parker!" Wilson stuck out his lower lip at Peter. He shrugged at Peter and began walking away, "You wanted answers," He called back over his shoulder. "Be careful what you wish for!"

Peter watched as Wilson walked away. Slowly, he made his way over to sit. He looked at the tray of food that was still waiting for him, but he didn't seem to have the appetite at the moment. Instead he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He needed to get his mind together. He couldn't let his emotions get the better him. Not here. Not now. He needed to keep his emotions in control and be ready to strike if and when the moment presented itself.

* * *

Tony was beyond irritated. He felt helpless. He had tried to send out one of his suits the day before, just to see how far it would get. He wanted to know how closely Ross's people were watching the compound. It hadn't taken long for the call to come. Ross threatened to starve Peter if he saw another suit in the air. _Damn it!_

He didn't mean to, but he took his frustration out on the others. He hated feeling helpless, trapped even. He couldn't help but feel as if it was the same trapped feeling that Peter himself was having.

Pepper remained patient with him, getting him to rest and take care of himself. She reminded him that he needed to be strong. The only thing he could do for Peter right now was to look after May.

 _"Poor May,"_ Tony thought. She had taken a turn when her fever spiked Sunday night. Helen finally decided to move her to the medical wing of the compound to monitor her more closely. There wasn't much to do except give her the fluids and vitamins that would help her body fight off the virus.

In some ways, Tony thought the illness was a blessing. Time would pass quickly for her as she slept the days away. She would ask about Peter when she was awake, but she seemed disorientated because of the fever. He could tell that she wasn't fully aware of what was happening. In this state, she didn't have to face the reality of waiting for Ross's next move. He hoped that Peter would be home by the time her fever broke.

Rhodes and Tony spent the days trying to find a way to get a message to the others, or even figure out just where Vision had run off to. Nothing worked.

Fortunately, Ross seemed to miss Vision's exit from the compound. Tony supposed if anyone could sneak away that it would be the android. He only hoped that Vision would find a way to help.

Tony was also frustrated that there was no word from Kind T'Challa. He thought for sure the Black Panther might be able to return his messages by now.

It seemed like waiting was the only thing Tony did these days. He knew he wouldn't be able to wait much longer. If there was no word on the kid in the next 24 hours, he was taking off in the Iron Man suit towards the raft. Ross be damned. He was going to get the kid home for his birthday, even if he was killed in the process.

* * *

Back in Brazil, Natasha suddenly noticed activity outside.

"Steve," she said. "We have company."

"Great," Sam said sarcastically. "I really don't like this!"

"Sam…" Steve said with a warning tone. "Can you see how many?" He asked Natasha.

She shook her head. "Looks like a small army is gathering out there."

Steve stood, resolute. "We've got this." He looked at his friends, "You know what to do."

Things happened quickly. Men came charging into the shack where they were hiding, holding advanced weaponry on the trio. Men came through the windows and the doors shouting orders to "get down" and "put their hand where we can see them." They wouldn't go without putting up a little fight.

Natasha kicked the legs out from underneath the men who came through the window. Sam used a chair and smashed it across the back of a man that had entered through the back. Steve took on three men that had entered through the front, punching and kicking them to the ground.

The fight didn't last long. The other men had come prepared and shot at the trio with devices that were not so different from Natasha's own "widow bites." An electric-like current shot through them one by one. Sam was the first to go down. Two men came up behind him and quickly used strong restraints to secure his wrists behind his back. Natasha was sent the ground next and secured in the same way as Sam. Steve stayed up the longest, needing more shots to take him down. Finally, four men worked together to secure him. They used thick metal restraints around his ankles with a chain just long enough for him to be able to walk. Steve's hands were captured in front with the same type of metal restraint, and a chain connected the ankle restraints to his hands so that he could not lift them up too high.

The three rogue avengers breathed heavily as they were hoisted into a standing position. They were pushed together and forced to face the man in charge. Steve sent the man an annoyed glare and said, "I don't believe we've met."

The man gave a cocky grin to him and replied, "Name's Wade. My men and I are here on behalf of Secretary Ross. We're here to take you in, Rogers."

Wade looked at the three for a moment, noticing the looks they were sending back and forth between one another, "What's the matter?" he asked. "Expecting to see someone else?"

"Clearly we needed to expect you!" Sam spat at the man while pulling lightly at his restraints.

"Oh, you won't be going anywhere Mr. Wilson," he said. "Except back to the raft." He smiled and added, "You'll get to meet my buddy! His name is Wilson, too!"

"Is he as charming as you are?" Natasha asked, faking sweetness in her voice.

"He acts nice, but Wilson is much worse." Wade taunted. "Enough chit chat. Time to go! Oh…" he added looking at Steve. "…don't bother trying to break out of those restraints. They're made from Vibranium, so you won't be going anywhere."

Steve glared at the man while he, Natasha, and Sam were pushed and forced to move forward. They complied with their captures, but the fight was far from over.

* * *

Hours later, Peter had eaten both the breakfast and lunch that was brought to him. He felt more determined than ever to find some way to fight back as soon as he had the chance. He was feeling so much anger about this whole situation, and he was dying to take that anger out on one of the guards, mostly Wilson.

After pushing his lunch tray back out, Peter noticed that activity was picking up around the prison. More guards were moving around than usual, like they were getting ready for something.

Before long, they were opening three other cells and seemed to be preparing them.

 _"Oh shit!"_ Peter thought, _"This cannot be good! Please tell me that Mr. Stark didn't make Ross so mad that he's being arrested with Rhodes and Vision."_ He wasn't sure that is was even possible to contain Vision, but he also doubted that Ross would turn down the chance to try.

Peter noticed Wilson walking around and giving orders. He decided to get the man's attention to learn what was happening.

"Hey!" he called out to Wilson. "Hey! I wanna talk to you!" He tried sounding fierce, using a similar tone to the one he used when confronting the Vulture after leaving Homecoming.

Wilson made his way over to Peter. "Yes dear?" he asked. "Is there something I can do you for you, little Spider?"

Peter motioned to the commotion around them. "What's going on? Who else is being brought in?"

Wilson cocked his head and looked at Peter. "Hmm… I don't think I answer to you, kid." He took a step away and winked at him, "…but you'll find out soon enough. Our guests should arrive here within the next hour!"

There was some small part of Peter that liked the idea of not being alone in the prison. However, there was also a feeling of dread at the same time. If more Avengers were brought to this horrible place, then who would be able to help him?

Peter placed his head against the bars. He really wanted to go home to Aunt May.

* * *

Tony had just finished checking on May. Her fever was down, and the doctor promised that she was resting comfortably. It seemed like things were improving for at least one member of the Parker family.

Then, Tony got the call.

"Mr. Stark," FRIDAY called. "Secretary Ross is calling for you."

Tony signaled for Rhodey to join him and answered. A hologram of a happy-looking Ross greeted him.

"Tony! Good News!" Ross informed.

Tony rolled his eyes and looked over toward Rhodes, "Ross, something tells me that you and I have very different ideas of what good news is."

"I thought you'd be happy to hear that Wade and his team have Rogers, Romanoff, and Wilson in custody. They're on their way to the Raft, now," Ross said. "You did well."

Tony didn't answer. He merely closed his eyes and lowered his head. Rhodes knew that he was feeling guilty. That last thing he wanted was for more people to end up stuck at that hell hole. Deep down, Tony didn't want Steve to be trapped there, either.

"What's the matter, Stark?" Ross said, sounding too cheerful. "You should be happy. As soon as Rogers and the others are tucked away, we can start negotiating a pardon for Mr. Parker."

"Start negotiating?" Rhodes asked. "What's left to negotiate? You gave your word!"

Ross looked doubtful. "There is still the question of Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch is still at large."

"Oh no!" Tony said forcefully. "When you have the others in custody, ask them about Maximoff! They're the ones who saw her last. Peter has nothing to do with that! He should be able to come home!"

"I hear what you're saying," Ross said. "We'll talk about it more during negotiations, shall we? I'm going to need to make sure the others are secured first. I'll be in touch!"

"Wait!" Tony called, but he was too late. Ross had already ended the call. Tony growled in frustration and kicked a nearby chair.

Pepper entered the room in time to see the chair connect with the wall. "Tony?" she asked. "Was that Ross? What's happening?"

Rhodes shook his head and looked ready to hit something.

Tony looked at her and just said, "Ross has Cap, Widow, and Falcon on their way to the prison. He says we'll talk more later about _negotiating_ Peter's release."

Pepper blew out a breath and looked thoughtful for a moment. She looked at Tony and said, "Don't worry, Tony. I have a strong feeling that everything will work out."

* * *

Steve and the others were taken to the prison on a large military helicopter. The guards never put down their weapons and kept a close eye on the three captives.

The flight to the prison seemed to take forever. Steve, Natasha, and Sam were on edge the entire time, but that was likely due to the weapons being pointed in their direction.

They listened as their guards discussed how and where they would be placed upon arrival. Steve heard the man named Wade make some comment about fitting him with a collar that would keep him on his best behavior, but he didn't let that worry him too much.

After some time, their helicopter began its descent down to the prison. It dropped inside as the roof above them began to close. The guards wasted no time leading them off the helicopter and through the reinforced metal doors that led to the main cell area.

Steve noticed that the prison looked the same, but there were clearly some repairs that had been done thanks to his previous breech on the prison. As they were taken into the main cell area, Wade greeted another man that the others gathered to be the "Wilson" that he mentioned earlier.

Wilson stepped forward with Wade and spoke in a manner that seemed far too cheerful, "Welcome! We're so happy to have you here! Before we take you to your rooms, we'll be fitting you with the proper attire." He looked to Steve. "And some of you will get some special jewelry similar to what the Spider-Man is wearing over there."

They noticed Wilson point over his shoulder to someone else standing and watching them anxiously.

The kid had a metal collar-like device around his neck, but he looked otherwise unharmed and healthy.

"Captain America," Wade said with a mock tone of respect. "We'll be getting you settled first. Then, we'll take _special_ care of the Widow before reacquainting the Falcon with his bird cage!"

Sam and Natasha just glared. Steve, on the other hand, had something to say, especially since he heard some noise coming from the entry into the prison.

"I wouldn't be too confident," Steve said, glancing over at Peter. "I should thank you for bringing us here."

Wade and Wilson looked at Steve in confusion. They were also starting to look anxious about the noise coming from the entry to the Raft prison, from which the helicopter had entered earlier.

"Now if you don't mind," Steve said. "My friends and I will be taking Peter home now."

"You and your friends can't do anything with those restraints!" Wade argued.

Steve just smiled.

It was Natasha that spoke, "Oh no! He's not talking about us."

Sam nodded to noise that was now coming from behind the door into the cell area. "Our other friends!" Sam said.

Just then, the door burst open and a pile of guards were blown to the ground by some kind of purple glow. Wade and Wilson didn't have to wait long to see where the glow came from. The Black Panther leapt into the room, followed by none other than Bucky Barnes!

Wade and Wilson started to step backwards, and other guards were grabbing for weapons and preparing to stand their ground.

Steve, Natasha, and Sam were backing up towards their friends when Steve heard a happy, "HELL YEAH!" coming from Peter's direction.

The fight was only just getting started!

* * *

 **A/N: Who called it? Was anyone surprised that Steve and the others allowed themselves to be caught? Notice that I never said just _who_ they were expecting to arrive in Brazil. Of course, Sam would be uncomfortable with the plan since he would hate to go back.**

 **There are still a few questions to be answered, of course.**

 **Who warned Steve and the others so that they could form a plan?**

 **How did T'Challa and Bucky get involved?**

 **And just what role will Wanda and Vision play in all of this?**

 **Stay tuned to find out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I still don't own them.**

 **A/N: Surprise! Here's another chapter for you. Fight scenes are challenging to write, but I had fun giving it a try.**

Chapter 17: A Time to Fight Back

Peter could hardly believe what he was seeing. It appeared that the captain and the others had been captured on purpose. They were here to get him out!

"Hey! Hey! Guys!" Peter called as they were moving towards Black Panther and the Winter Soldier. "Get me out! I can help!"

They didn't seem to be paying any attention to him at the moment, however.

Wade, Wilson, and the other guards quickly armed themselves to fight.

Wilson even had the nerve to think that they could get the upper hand and said, "Oh, Good! More guests have arrived to take up residence on our luxury cruise ship!"

"I'm not interested!" T'Challa yelled as he withdrew his claws. Peter expected him to charge the guards, but instead the Black Panther moved towards Steve.

"It's Vibranium!" Steve yelled to him, holding the chain out in front of him. T'Challa's claws were able to cut through the metal of the chains as they were made of the same material. He quickly slashed through the links connecting the hands to the feet, and in a few more moves cut the chains limiting Steve's movement for both hands and feet. The large metal cuffs were left encircling the wrists and ankles, but that didn't much matter. As long as Steve could fully use his limbs, the extra medal wasn't a bother.

As a matter of fact, Steve used the thick metal that was still around his wrists to add little extra power to his punches and kicks.

Peter winced when Cap swung around to take out a guard charging at T'Challa's back by bringing down the metal around both of his wrists to the top of the opposing man's head. Peter was pretty sure he wouldn't be getting back up.

Meanwhile, Barnes approached the others using his metal arm to crush away the restraints on both Natasha and Sam.

"Glad to see me?" Peter heard Bucky ask Sam.

"Depends on how soon you get my ass out of here!" Sam responded back.

There were now 5 free individuals to take on the guards, and Peter felt confident that they would win. At least until Wade and Wilson emerged with weapons that looked something like what Toomes and his men put together.

"Guys! Watch out!" Peter yelled to them.

Wade shot off a blast at the group that sent them flying backwards through the air. T'Challa was the first to recover as his suit glowed from the energy of the blast. The man sprung forward shot off a blast right back at them, sending them running for cover.

"We need to split up!" Steve called. "Sam, Natasha, Get to Peter! Find a way to open that cell," he ordered. "We'll try to hold these guys off," he said, motioning towards himself, T'Challa, and Bucky.

"Copy that," Natasha said. "Come on, Sam. The panel to open the cell is straight ahead."

"I'll clear a path!' Steve called. Peter watched as he picked up a guard that charged into the room and threw him at Wade before he could fire another shot with the fancy weapon.

Meanwhile, Wilson was using a contraption just like the one "the shocker" had used against him. He sent Barnes flying backwards, but the powerful man simply landed on his feet and prepared to charge again.

Natasha and Sam had picked up weapons from previously defeated guards and were fighting their way over to the access panel to release Peter.

He couldn't wait to get out and help. He could feel his strength surging through him, and he was desperate to finally have the chance to get some revenge on the men holding him captive.

Wade had managed to shoot off another blast that sent Steve down hard. The Black Panther quickly focused his attention on disarming the man. T'Challa leapt at Wade only to get knocked down with another blast. He once again used the absorbed energy from his suit, but this time he set it off when he was closer to Wade, effectively sending him down for good. Wade dropped the weapon to the ground, and T'Challa quickly kicked it over to a recovering Steve.

Steve picked up the weapon and used it as a bat to knock down 2 guards charging at him. He then swung it at the floor with all his strength, causing it to shatter and break.

T'Challa charged over to help Bucky with Wilson who kept using his powerful punches to keep the metal-armed man at a distance. Wilson had just pulled his arm back to throw another punch when the Black Panther grabbed hold off his arm so that he could not punch it forward.

"Hold it down!" Barnes called. As T'Challa brought the man's arm to the floor, Bucky jumped high with his metal hand in a fist. As he came down, he drove the metal fist into the device on Wilson's hand.

Wilson scream pierced through the air as Bucky had shattered both the device and the hand on which it sat. Wilson curled up, pulling his injured arm to his chest and seemingly passed out.

With Wade and Wilson down, the remaining guards were falling quickly. Some even surrendered to group of heroes, knowing they didn't stand a chance.

The door to Peter's cell opened and he stepped out to find Steve and Bucky coming over to him.

"Kid!" Steve called. "Are you alright?"

Peter walked out with disappointment written all over his face. "Yeah… I just thought I might get a chance to help," he sighed.

Steve clapped a sturdy hand to Peter's shoulder. "Will you settle for getting out of here?" Steve asked.

Peter smiled and was about to give him a definitive yes, but his senses told him something was wrong. "Someone else is coming!" He told Steve, looking towards the door.

Suddenly, Dr. Connelly came in holding something in her hand. She was followed by men that looked more like special forces soldiers than the other guards.

"You may just get your wish, kid." Bucky said.

"Nobody move!" The doctor yelled. They could see that she was holding a remote—one that Peter recognized immediately. "Anyone moves and I send a powerful charge that will kill Parker! I doubt you all went through this trouble just to leave with a dead body!"

The men with her spread around the room holding more weapons on the others. They all froze and kept an eye on the doctor while they contemplated their next move. The doctor rushed to Wilson's side. "Oh, darling! Are you all right? Please answer me!"

 _"Figures those two are an item!"_ Peter thought to himself. He noticed that Steve and Bucky were staying close to him. Bucky was eyeing the collar around Peter's neck, realizing that the remote likely controlled it. "You gotta get this thing off my neck," Peter whispered to Bucky, trying to confirm the man's suspicions.

Wilson stirred at the doctor's touch and came back to awareness. "K-ll 'm," he murmured to her. "Just kill 'im!" he said again, sitting up and holding his broken wrist close. "I'll do it!" he finally yelled, reaching for the remote.

Everything after that happened in slow motion.

Natasha, T'Challa, and Sam went after the armed guards who were holding weapons on the group, Steve charged at the doctor and Wilson as the man was grabbing the remote.

Just as Wilson was trying to press the button, Bucky reached over towards Peter with his metal arm. Peter could sense the powerful pulse that was about to be sent through his body.

Steve tackled the pair, but Wilson had managed to turn up the power and hit the button that should have sent a deadly blast through Peter.

Bucky's hand ripped through the metal collar and tore it away from Peter just as the device was activated.

They all watched as Peter was knocked slightly back from the jolt that managed to hit him just as Bucky tore it free and was throwing it aside.

Steve crushed the remote and used his weight to hold down the doctor and Wilson as he looked and desperately tried to see if Peter was ok. Natasha, Sam, and T'Challa had subdued the other men and froze to look at the kid as well. Bucky shot over to Peter first.

"Hey kid!" he called, putting his human hand on Peter's chest. "You alright?"

Peter shot up in a flash. He put a hand to his own chest before reaching up to feel his neck. He was relieved to find the collar gone and looked at Bucky. "Ahh!" he signed in relief. "Hey…uh…th-thanks, man! Th-that w-w-was a little too close!"

Bucky shot Peter a smile and helped him to his feet while the others in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

Peter saw it coming before anyone else. Steve had been distracted, and the two people beneath him were making their move, "Cap, look out!" Peter used his spider skills to jump over Bucky, cling to the ceiling, and was throwing himself down towards Steve, Wilson, and Connelly.

The doctor had some kind of taser that pushed into Steve's neck while Wade plunged a knife into the captain's side. Peter came down quickly kicking the doctor unconscious before throwing a hard hit at Wilson. Wilson went flying across the floor but remained conscious. While the others charged to help Steve, Peter had unfinished business with the man in front of him. Wilson continued to cradle his injured arm while using his good arm to try to pull himself away from Peter.

Wilson never stood a chance of getting away. Peter grabbed the man by the collar and of shirt and pushed him against the wall.

"Why!?" Peter yelled. "Why would you do that?" He pushed the man hard into the wall, making it difficult for Wilson to breath. "You shouldn't have done that! You've hurt too many people!" The tears were forming behind Peter's eyes. He was so angry. He had been trapped for too long, hating this man for taking him away from his home and taunting him. He hated this man for making him feel weak. Peter knew he wasn't weak. _"I'll show him how strong I really am!"_ Peter thought, as he began to crush the man ribs with the force of pushing him even harder into the wall behind him.

Natasha appeared next him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She spoke gently, "It's over, Peter. Stop."

Peter eased up but kept his forceful hold on the man. "He's a bad man! He deserves to be punished!" Peter was crying angry tears now, his voice full of pain and anguish. "He hurt the captain! He hurt me! Why should he get away with it?!" he yelled.

He felt Natasha squeeze his shoulder a little tighter, but her words remained gentle. "Peter… he won't get away with it. Look at him… he's already hurt. We'll make sure he's punished. You don't have to kill him, Peter. Put him down."

The word "kill" finally broke through Peter's brain. He wasn't a killer. He had never been a killer. Peter pulled away from Wilson and let him drop the ground. Peter looked at Natasha, "You're right," he said, breathing heavily. Then, Peter knelt down towards Wilson. He was pleased to see the man shrink away from him. "I'm not like you, Wilson. You're going to live…" Peter stood and looked at the others, "…you're going to live to regret ever messing with the Avengers."

He saw the others had a funny look on their face when he said it, "Er… um… you're going to live to regret messing with the Rogue Avengers… or us… you'll regret messing with us!"

Sam had lifted Steve into a standing position. Steve had his arm draped around Sam's neck. He must not have been hurt too badly because the Captain was looking at Peter with a crooked smile.

"Smooth," Sam teased Peter. "Very smooth, kid." The teasing from Sam was friendly, though.

Peter just sent an awkward smile back in his direction and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do we do with them?" Bucky asked.

"We will leave them here," T'Challa said, answering with his smooth, authoritative accent. "Ross will deal with him."

If Wilson looked fearful before, he looked even more afraid now.

Steve spoke next, grunting a little through the pain from his wound. "Bucky, Natasha… find any survivors and look them in a cell. I'm sure an alarm went out. Ross will be sending reinforcements. We need to secure the remaining guards and leave before anyone else gets here."

"I can help with that!" Peter offered, eager to let the remaining guards know what it felt like to be looked in the cells.

While Peter, Natasha, and Bucky locked up the remaining guards, T'Challa and Sam helped Steve to the jet. T'Challa prepared the jet to take-off and Sam went to check on the progress of the others.

Sam walked down to ramp to see Bucky and Natasha securing the last guards. "Where's the kid?" Sam asked.

"Said he needed to grab something," Bucky answered.

A few seconds later, Peter was joining the others with his backpack in hand. He had it open and was looking inside. He looked up towards the others to see them giving him a strange look. "What?" he asked.

"Uh… you got an important homework assignment in there or something?" Sam asked him.

Natasha and Bucky tried to keep in their laughter.

Peter gave them an annoyed look and lifted his Spider-Man suit. "I couldn't leave this in the wrong hands," he explained.

Bucky's eyebrows shot up, "Wait! You're _that_ kid!" He looked between Natasha and Sam, who didn't seem surprised. "That explains a few things about your strength I guess." He looked Peter up and down, "I just still don't get where it comes from… guess you'll have to explain on the flight." With that Bucky turned and starting walking towards the jet, Sam following behind him.

Natasha waited for Peter to join her and placed an arm around his shoulder, "Come on, Spider-Man, let's get you off this thing!"

"Music to my ears!" Peter said. He was happy to let the Black Widow lead him on board.

As the ramp closed behind them and T'Challa began to lift the jet into the air, Natasha noticed Peter studying her, "What's the matter?" She asked.

"Uh… sorry… I… It's just… something seems different about you," he said.

Natasha just gave him a smile as she directed him to a seat and motioned for him to strap in.

Steve was settled in a seat of his own, holding a bandage to his side. "It's the hair, kid," Steve explained. "We've been in hiding, so we changed our appearance."

Peter nodded, "Oh yeah… that's it! You had red hair!" he said, looking at the dark blonde across from him.

"I may need to change it again," Natasha said. "I think I'll make it even lighter, maybe a tad shorter."

Steve just gave her a friendly nod, indicating that he thought it would look nice.

As Peter studied the captain, he realized for the first time that the man was also growing a thick beard and slightly longer hair.

"I didn't need to change my look," Sam joked. "Y'all seem to think we all look alike anyway!"

Peter knew what he meant, and he wasn't sure what to say. He just offered a laugh at the man's joke.

T'Challa, however, had something to say. "That is not true, my brother. You look like nothing like me," the king of Wakanda turned and offered a small smile over his shoulder. "I am much better looking!"

Sam looked like he was about to argue, but T'Challa sent the jet shooting forward. The force pushed Sam back in his seat, silencing him for the time being.

Bucky was just shaking his head and giving Steve a look, "The things I wake up to! I don't know why I don't just stay in the chryostasis chamber."

The group settled into a comfortable and companionable silence as the jet settled into a pace that would get them back quickly.

Peter reached up and rubbed at his neck.

Natasha noticed and said, "You have a nasty bruise there. I wouldn't rub at it too much. We can check you over for more injuries when we arrive."

"I'm not too worried," Peter told her. "I heal quickly. I just hope it heals before my aunt sees it." He suddenly realized he didn't know where they were going. "Wait! We are going back to the Avenger's Compound, right?"

It was quiet, the silence growing awkward now.

"It's too dangerous," Steve explained. "Ross will be looking for us."

"Then, where are we going?" Peter asked, feeling anxious. He really wanted to go home to his aunt… and Tony.

"We will all go to Wakanda," T'Challa answered. "It will be safe there. We can figure out how to get you home once we arrive."

"But…" Peter said, "My aunt… and… well… Mr. Stark… They'll be worried."

"You and Tony are close. Aren't you, kid?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah… I mean… I guess," Peter answered. "It's hard to explain."

"We will call him," T'Challa said. "We can let him know you are safe."

"I don't understand," Peter said suddenly.

"What's not to understand, kid?" Sam asked. "It's simple. We call him and tell him you're ok."

"It's not that!" Peter defended. "I thought… well… I thought Mr. Stark would be here. The guards at the prison acted like Ross was making Mr. Stark do something to cooperate. It's just… I'm not sure I understand how all of this is happening."

"How about I call him?" Natasha said. "Then, I think I can fill in some blanks for you, Peter."

Natasha got out of her seat, "Come on, Peter. Join me in the back and we'll call him together. He'll probably want to hear your voice."

Peter nodded and followed Natasha to the back of the jet.

* * *

Tony was done. He was done worrying about Ross. He was done waiting for whatever negotiations Ross had in mind. He was going to grab one of the housing units of his nanotech suit, and he was going to take Peter out of that prison once and for all. Ross had what he wanted. It was time for that he brought Peter home.

As he was storming off to get what he needed, Pepper was chasing after him.

"Tony! Stop! You need to wait!" Pepper called to him.

"Nope! I'm done waiting!" Tony answered. "This has gone on long enough."

As Tony placed the glowing piece of tech to his chest, FRIDAY called, "Mr. Stark, you have an incoming call from what seems to be a Wakandan jet."

"Wakandan jet? Finally! Answer it FRIDAY!" Tony yelled. As it connected, Tony called out to who he thought was T'Challa. "Your highness! Don't you check messages in your country? I've been trying to contact you for days! This is very important!"

There was silence for a time. Then he was surprised to hear a woman's voice, _"He was already working on it, Tony."_

Pepper spoke first, "Natasha? Thank god! Is everything alright?"

"Hold on!" Tony cut in. "How are you calling from one of King T'Challa's jets? I was under the impression Ross was taking you in… you can't… You DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT RISK!" He was yelling now. If they had escaped before Ross got them to the prison, then Peter was in serious danger.

 _"Uh… Mr. Stark?"_ Peter's voice came through. _"You don't have to worry. Everything's good now."_

Tony's jaw fell open. He was hallucinating, hearing things. He had officially lost his mind, because…how in the _hell_ could that possibly be Peter's voice?

 _"Mr. Stark?"_

There it was again. Tony looked at Pepper, "Pepper… am I hearing things? Or do you hear Peter's voice, too?"

 _"Tony…"_ Natasha's voice sounded amused. They could hear his question to Pepper easily. _"We have Peter. We got him off the raft. You are, in fact, hearing his voice."_

"Kid! Say something! Is that really you? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Tony was firing off the questions now because, _Thank you God,_ the kid was safe!

They could hear Peter give a little laugh before he answered, _"Yeah… Mr. Stark. I'll be fine. Is Aunt May ok? She must be worried sick!"_

Tony looked at Pepper. Peter had no idea how true his words were. She was, in a way, worried sick.

Pepper spoke, "Peter it is so good to hear that you're ok! Your aunt will be so happy to know you're safe!"

 _"Does she know what happened? I…I thought she would be at the compound with you. Is she alright?"_ Leave it to Peter to worry about someone else after being locked away for days.

"I'm afraid she has a nasty case of the flu, Peter," Pepper told him.

"I've got my best doctor looking after her, Pete," Tony said. "I promise you I did everything I could to keep her safe for you. I know…I know how important that is to you, kid. The doctor says she'll be just fine. Her fever broke, but she just needs her rest now."

 _"Oh…I…I should have been there,"_ Peter was clearly worried. _"Thank you, Mr. Stark. Thank you for taking care of her for me."_

"You don't need to thank me for anything, kid. It seems that I'm not the one who did much of anything to save you," Tony commented. He directed his next question to Natasha. "Natasha, I don't understand. Did Vision find you? How did you all get out of there with Peter? How did King T'Challa get to you? I… uh… it's not that I'm ungrateful. I'm just surprised… and really confused."

 _"I think Pepper can clear that up for you, Tony. For now, this isn't over. We're going to need you to settle things with Ross,"_ Natasha explained. _"We're all going back to Wakanda for now. I don't think it will be safe for Peter in New York until we know Ross is no longer a threat."_

 _"Please, Mr. Stark. I… uh… I want to get home to Aunt May,"_ Peter added.

Tony was staring at Pepper, who had a funny smile on her face in response to Natasha's answer. "Um… yeah… yes! We'll figure something out with Ross, Pete. Don't worry."

 _"Alright, Tony. We need to go. We'll call you for an update. It's probably best if you wait to hear from us,"_ Natasha said.

She didn't wait for a response. Natasha ended the call.

Tony looked at Pepper. "Pepper… what… how… what was Natasha talking about?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Tony. We thought it might be best if you didn't know… in case Ross somehow grilled you or asked too many questions," Pepper said.

Tony looked at her, "I love you, Pep. But what THE HELL are you talking about?"

She just smiled, "Let me start at the beginning…

 _FLASHBACK TO SATURDAY_

 _Pepper had spent much of her Friday night helping Happy watch over May after telling her the updates about Peter. Pepper fell asleep in the lounge area on the third floor in her work suit with Happy nearby. When she woke up on Saturday morning, she asked Happy to stay with May so that she could go upstairs. She wanted to clean up a little find something more comfortable to change into._

 _As Pepper took the elevator to the fourth floor, she couldn't help but to think that Steve needed to know about what was happening. She knew Tony would avoid calling him at all. He was so stubborn, and it would likely be too late until Tony decided it would be a good idea._

 _Pepper walked into their private quarters, trying to remember where the phone might be. She knew Tony kept some thing hidden in his father's old desk. The top drawer had a hidden compartment that Tony like to use. Sometimes Tony remembered to take out the phone and carry it with him, but she knew he often left it there because he really didn't want to call Steve and talk to him._

 _As Pepper walked past the desk, she opened the drawer with the hidden compartment. She felt a thrill of success when she found the phone. Tony had the charge cord connected through a hole that was drilled in the back. She was pleased to see that he at least made sure to keep it ready to use._

 _Pepper pulled out the phone and carried it into the bedroom. She set it down while she quickly washed her face and changed into more comfortable clothes._

 _She sat down on the bed and looked towards the elevator._

 _"FRIDAY," Pepper called. "Where is Tony right now?"_

 _"Mr. Stark is busy is the lower level with Mr. Rhodes and Vision," FRIDAY replied. "Would you like me to get him for you?"_

 _"That will be unnecessary, FRIDAY, thank you," Pepper said._

 _She looked at the phone in her hands. She knew what needed to be done. It would be hard to talk to Steve after what she knew he did to hurt Tony, but she felt it was necessary to make the call if they stood any chance of getting Peter back._

 _In a moment of decision, Pepper pulled up the number and called Steve._

 _The phone didn't ring long, and Steve's voice was more than a little surprised (and concerned). She figured Steve must know that something would be terribly wrong if Tony had decided to call._

 _"Tony? It's good to hear from you. Is everything alright?" Steve asked._

 _"Steve…it's Pepper… uh… Potts," she said._

 _"Pepper? Is everything ok? Is Tony alright?" Steve sounded worried._

 _She sighed, "No, Steve. He's not." She was quiet._

 _Steve sounded a little defensive, "Are you calling about what happened between us? Pepper… you should know that I didn't mean to hurt him. Things spun out of control so quickly, I…"_

 _"Steve…" Pepper cut him off. "We probably should talk about that sometime, but there is something else going on."_

 _"I'm listening," he said._

 _"I don't know that I have much time to explain, but there's a kid in trouble," She explained. "Tony loves him like a son, Steve. His name is Peter… Peter Parker."_

 _"A kid named Peter is in trouble?" Steve asked. "How is that you think I can help?"_

 _"You met him in Germany, I think," Pepper explained. "Maybe you know him as Spider-Man? He likes to shoot webs around? "_

 _"The kid from Queens!" Steve said with fondness and recognition. "He had a lot of heart."_

 _"You have no idea, Steve. He has the biggest heart. He's a good kid, and…" She took a deep breath. "…Steve, Ross has Peter. He took him to the raft prison. He's accusing him of breaking the Accords. He hadn't signed when Tony took him to Germany, and he got involved in something else here not long ago. We tried to hide Peter's identity from Ross. Tony was trying to help him… Peter just wanted to finish high school while learning to navigate his abilities. Tony was mentoring him… and then… well, it just became something more. It will destroy Tony if anything happens to him."_

 _"I think I understand," Steve said._

 _"I'm afraid there's more, Steve." Pepper told him. "Ross will detain Peter indefinitely unless Tony gives Ross something else he wants. Something he wants more than detaining Spider-Man."_

 _"I'm afraid to ask," Steve said to her, clearly getting an idea of where this was going._

 _"He wants you and the others, Steve. He's suspected all along that Tony has a way to find you. It's just now he has the leverage. Peter was taken yesterday, and Ross gave him 24 hours to decide," Pepper explained._

 _"Tony didn't call us on the spot?" Steve sounded confused._

 _"He thought he could find another way. He's mad at you, Steve. He really doesn't want to talk to you, but I also know he doesn't want you or the others to be taken to that prison," Pepper said._

 _Steve was quiet on the other end. "He's trying to save both the kid and us, isn't he? Even after what I did?"_

 _"I believe he is. But he's too stubborn to tell you what's happening… too proud to think he can't find another way. So, I decided to call you myself. I thought you might be able to prepare. Inevitably, I think Ross will force him into a position to call you," Pepper said, sounding sad._

 _"Sam and Natasha aren't far away from me, Pepper. We'll figure something out. T'Challa may be able to help us, too. We'll prepare for Ross and see if we can't also find a way to get the kid out of there." Steve sighed and added, "I owe Tony at least that much."_

 _"Thank you," She said, "Steve, he can't know that I called you. When he calls, you need to sound surprised. I may even try to get him to call and warn you himself before Ross returns. He could maybe give you more information. Either way, it's better that we wait to tell him about this conversation."_

 _"I think you're right, Pepper. If Ross has him in a tough spot, it will be better if he doesn't have the added pressure of hiding our knowledge of the situation. Unless he does make the choice to call first, but I somehow doubt that he will do that," Steve told her._

 _"Unfortunately," Pepper confirmed._

 _"He's lucky to have you, Pepper. I was happy to see that you two made it work. I know he loves you," Steve said._

 _"Thank you, Captain," Pepper said, using his other name as a way of showing her own respect for him._

 _"I'm going to contact the others, Pepper. Thank you for the call," Steve told her._

 _"Let's hope it's worth it. Goodbye, Steve," she said._

 _"Bye, Pepper," and with that Steve was gone._

 _Pepper closed the phone and stared at it. She took it over and plugged it into a port in the wall._

 _"FRIDAY! I need you to erase the call history from this phone, please."_

 _"Are you sure, Ms. Potts?" the AI asked._

 _"Positive," Pepper answered._

 _When it was done, Pepper took the phone with her. She would take it and give it to Tony herself._

 _END FLASHBACK – Back to TUESDAY NIGHT_

Tony stared at his fiancé in amazement. "You did that? For me? For Peter?"

"I hated to lie to you, Tony," Pepper said. "But I know you too well. I was afraid it would be too late before you decided to call. Turns out I was right."

"Tony hugged Pepper tight and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. "Thanks for having my back, Ms. Potts."

"Always," She told him.

Tony looked thoughtful. "We still have the issue of what to do about Ross," he said to her.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance," a new voice offered.

Tony turned to see Vision standing just inside of the room he and Pepper were in. It was clear Vision hadn't used the door, but someone else did.

"Wanda?" Tony asked.

"I believe I can help you with the Ross situation," Wanda proclaimed with her subtle accent. "I know what is happening. Steve sent me away when he learned that Ross was coming. Vision filled me in on the rest."

"I brought her back to help us, Mr. Stark." Vision explained.

Tony looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment.

"Let me call in Rhodes," he said. "He needs an update. Then the two of you…" he pointed at each of them, "…are going to tell us exactly what you have in mind. We need to get Ross out of the way and bring the kid home once and for all."

* * *

 **A/N: There you go! Was I able to surprise anyone? Here are some more questions:**

 **What are Wanda and Vision planning?**

 **Will Peter make it home for his birthday?**

 **Will Tony cross paths with Steve?**

 **What will he say when he learns that Bucky saved Peter's life?**

 **You'll just have to stay with me if you want to find out ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**They all still belong to Marvel**

Chapter 18: Reunion

Peter was resting in the back of the jet, thinking about the phone call with Tony. He wished so badly that he could be going back home to Aunt May. He couldn't believe he had managed to get himself into this mess. He should have made sure to tell Mr. Stark and May about Toomes. He couldn't believe his own foolishness. In his attempt to protect himself from the guilt of hurting Liz, he failed to protect himself from the one man who could give away his identity. Now he would have to live with the consequences.

"We'll be landing in Wakanda in about 30 minutes," Steve told Peter as he came to join him in the back of the jet.

Peter sat up to look at him, "Things can never be the same," he said.

"How do you mean?" Steve asked, coming to sit next him.

"Well… I'm a fugitive now, right? Ross will never just let me go back to my old life," Peter said.

Steve saw that the kid was struggling. He didn't really know if he had the words that he needed to hear. He decided to approach a different topic. "Listen, Peter… Do you know why we came to help you?"

Peter looked at him and cocked his head, thinking, "Actually… no. I was wondering… I mean… I know Natasha said that Pepper called, but…" He stopped for a moment to try and find his words. "… I'm not sure I deserved your help. Not after I fought against you in Germany."

Steve smiled sadly, then set a hand on Peter's shoulder. "What happened in Germany, Peter, was a misunderstanding…" He shook his head, "…a very unfortunate misunderstanding. I wasn't upset with you for fighting us. If I'm honest, I would tell you that I was impressed. You fought hard and with a lot of heart. You were fighting for what you believed was right. That's all any of us can do."

"So, you came to get me out because you were impressed with me?" Peter was still confused. That didn't seem like a very good reason.

"It's a little more complicated than all that," Steve said, putting his head down a little. "Tony discovered that Bucky was never the one responsible for the death of King T'Chaka or the bombing. He realized that I had a reason for pushing back against him and Ross. I wanted to get to Siberia to stop the man who was responsible from causing even more damage."

Peter studied the man. He saw guilt, and Steve looked haunted by whatever had happened. Peter decided to just listen intently. He had never asked Mr. Stark for the details from that day. Not that he wasn't curious; he just could see that it was too painful for him to talk about. He wasn't sure that Captain Rogers was eager to talk about it, but he let him continue anyway.

"I didn't realize the damage he wanted to cause was to the team… to the Avengers. He saw the perfect way to drive a wedge in between us, and he did." Steve looked at Peter and asked, "What do you know about Bucky… about what happened to him?"

Peter was surprised by the question, but he answered it none the less, "Oh… um… I know people thought that he was killed in action back during World War II. Uh… I know that Hydra managed to turn him into a weapon or something… they called him the Winter Soldier, right?"

Steve nodded, "They got inside of his head, Peter… made him into the ultimate soldier and sent him on missions." Steve exhaled sharply, "He killed people on those missions, Peter; however, he did NOT know what he was doing. Hydra controlled him, kid. Do you understand?"

"Y-yeah, I guess," Peter hesitated then asked, "I'm sorry, but…what's the connection to helping me?"

Steve smiled a little and said, "I'm getting to that part. You see… one of his missions turned out to be…" Steve studied Peter carefully, "it turned out to be Tony's parents." The two men looked at each other. Each trying to read the other one's thoughts.

"Wait…" Peter's eyebrows shot up. "You mean… you mean Bucky killed Mr. Stark's parents?"

"He did," Steve confessed. "Tony wasn't just mad about learning that truth. I had learned that Howard and his wife were killed… I didn't know it was Bucky at the time… but I knew it hadn't been accident."

"So, Mr. Stark was angry because you knew they were killed and didn't tell him," Peter said, thinking out loud as he tried to put it all together. "And he was even angrier when he learned that your friend killed them?"

"Yes… plus… Zemo, the man behind tearing us apart, he showed a video file in Siberia from that mission. Tony watched the footage of his parents' death," Steve confessed.

"Poor Mr. Stark," Peter said, quietly. "You know… I lost my parents when I was little. I guess that's something else that Mr. Stark and I have in common. But… I never saw them die. I don't think I would want to, either."

Peter suddenly stood up and moved away from Steve. He turned around and scowled at the man, "So why did you hurt him… Mr. Stark, I mean. He was hurt when he got back. If you knew that he was so upset, why did hurt him?"

Steve stood up along with him and held up his hands to Peter in a placating gesture, "I didn't want to… but he was trying to kill Bucky and get revenge. I couldn't… Peter, I couldn't just watch him kill my best friend."

Peter just stared at the man.

"Look," Steve said, "Things escalated out of control quickly that day. I can't expect you to understand why we fought like we did. But I might be able to get you to understand why I couldn't let Bucky die."

Peter was listening.

"Your aunt… she's the only family you have left, right?" Steve asked.

Peter just nodded his head in confirmation.

"Bucky is the only family I have left… he has always been like a brother to me. When I woke up out of the ice, everyone familiar was pretty much gone. Getting Bucky back… it was like I was getting another chance with family. Peter… it's my fault that Hydra got into Bucky's head. I wasn't there to protect him, then. But now, I can do something. I am doing something to help him! With T'Challa's help… Suri, his sister, she's helping to undo what Hydra did to him. Peter, if someone had hurt your aunt, and you had the chance to fix it… wouldn't you want to take that chance? The chance to make it right?"

Peter realized that Steve was pleading with him to understand. "I suppose that I see what you're saying," Peter said. "But…"

Steve cut him off, "I never wanted to hurt Tony! Howard, his father, was my friend, too!" It was as if Steve was fighting tears now, "Don't you get it? I feel responsible for Howard's death because I should have been there for Bucky! Hydra never should have gotten into his head! That's on me, kid! I couldn't let Tony take it out on Bucky. The only way to fix everything… the only solution that I could see was to keep Buck alive and give him a chance at the life that Hydra stole from him. I had to stop Tony in order to give Bucky that chance. But I _never_ meant to hurt Tony."

Peter nodded his head and said, "I think I get it."

"Do you?" Steve asked. "Peter… the man who killed Tony's parents, that wasn't really Bucky Barnes." He paused, wanting to emphasize his next words. "The man who saved your life today, that is the _real_ Bucky Barnes."

That was a point that hit Peter right in the heart. The man had, in fact, saved his life.

"So…" Steve said, "…I came for you at that prison because I owed it to Tony. I hurt him, and I needed to make things right. I was willing to take the chance so that I could finally save the life of someone he loves."

Peter looked up at him, unsure that he heard him correctly. "Oh… uh, no! I mean, Mr. Stark is my mentor. I don't think…"

"Is that how you see him?" Steve cut him off again. "As just a mentor? Is that why you were so disappointed that he didn't come for you? Why you want to see him? Is he just a mentor to you?"

Peter was quiet. He had never said it out loud, but Tony Stark had somehow become more like a father. He respected the man in the same way a son respects a father.

"Peter?" Steve asked.

"I don't really remember my real dad," Peter confessed. "My Uncle Ben was the closest thing I ever knew to a father. Then he was killed…" Peter choked back tears, "…and he was gone. It was just May and me." Peter then gave a little smile. "Then, one day… Tony Stark is on my couch when I get home from school! He helped me out as Spider-Man, and he's never really stopped looking out for me. I guess… I mean… yeah… I look up to him. I like spending time with him." Peter shrugged at Steve. He didn't need to say anything else. Steve already had a clear picture of their relationship.

"I know Tony, kid. He doesn't let people get too close. He's very careful about the people he chooses to spend his time with. The fact that he commits so much time to you says a lot. I believe he really cares for you, Peter. I think he sees you as the son that he may never get to have. So yes…" Steve said, "I do think he loves you like a son. That's why I didn't hesitate to help getting you out of there."

Peter sat down again. The weight of that information was too heavy to hold while standing.

Steve once again joined him. He gave a sideways smile to Peter before adding, "And yes… it didn't hurt that Spider-Man impressed me in Germany, either!"

Peter returned his smile. "Thank you, Captain Rogers. I really do appreciate everything that you are risking for me." He shifted a little, "I need to thank Sergeant Barnes, too, I guess."

"You can thank him when we land," Steve said, looking out a window. "We're almost there."

* * *

Tony, Rhodes, Vision, and Wanda met and discussed their next steps. Pepper stayed to offer her support to Tony, but he seemed to be doing better now that plans were coming together. While he would never admit it, Pepper knew that Tony was happy to see Wanda. He hadn't wanted any of them to be forced into hiding.

Ross had contacted Tony not long after Natasha called. The man was livid. Tony convinced Ross to come to the compound to discuss the situation. Ross had agreed, saying something about wanting to arrest Tony anyway.

The plan was for Tony and Pepper to meet Ross at the compound with Wanda. The Scarlet Witch would remain out of sight until it was time for her to play her part.

Rhodes and Vision were on their way to DC. Tony made some comment about Vision sticking out, and he was surprised to find that Vision was able to alter his appearance so that he looked more human.

The two men were going to work together to destroy any files with information about Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

Wanda had also spoken with Natasha. Apparently, the tricky Black Widow had managed to destroy any information about Peter on board the prison before they made their escape.

The only problem that remained were the people who knew Peter's secret.

Ross arrived by car on this visit. Tony noticed that he seemed to have fewer men with him this time, and the man who had shown up with him earlier wasn't anywhere to be seen either.

"Stark!" Ross called as he entered the building, "If you expect me to believe that you had no part in the most recent breach on the Raft, then you are sorely mistaken!" he yelled.

"Secretary Ross, let's go somewhere more private, shall we?" Pepper said.

He and Pepper directed the man into the nearby conference room.

"Stark, let me be clear… that kid is done for! There will be no negotiations when we catch him, and we WILL catch him! We'll catch him and those other criminals for good! They'll be locked up for the rest of their miserable lives! They'll pay for killing the guards at the prison! They'll pay for killing the doctor, and they'll pay for killing my men!" Ross yelled. There was a look in his eyes, a guilty look.

Tony knew the killing part didn't sound right. The others wouldn't have gone that far. He shuddered to think that the man in front of him was that corrupt; yet, he had no doubt that those people were likely casualties of Ross's rage for losing his prisoners. He had them killed and was blaming Peter and the others. No doubt he would try to use it as an excuse in DC to lock them away forever. Too bad for Ross that he would never be able to take this nonsense any further.

Tony took a deep breath. There was no time to waste. He had a plan that needed to be set in motion.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Ross. But… you know…" Tony said, "…you should really just forget about it."

Ross didn't have time to answer.

The Scarlet Witch came in behind Ross and his men, her fingers working furiously. She was altering their reality, changing their memories. If she was successful (and if Rhodes and Vision did their job) Ross would forget that he ever learned the truth about Peter Parker. It was sad, but he supposed that Ross had done him a favor with the witnesses to Peter's identity at the prison. Wanda was powerful, and Tony hoped that this new reality for Ross would be a permanent solution.

The Scarlet Witch finished her work, nodded at Tony, and quickly disappeared without a trace.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Secretary. But I'm afraid that I just can't help you," Tony said, holding his breath and hoping that this worked.

Ross blinked at him. "Can't help me?" he asked.

Tony didn't breathe. Surely, Wanda had been successful.

"I come here and tell you that two of my men, Wade Reynolds and Wilson Ryan, went rogue and slaughtered innocent people on the Raft prison, and you feel that it's not your job to help make sure that the situation is contained? They were using weapons made with alien technology! The place was torn apart!"

Tony inwardly let out a sigh of relief. It worked! Ross was blaming the damage at the prison on his own men.

"Why would I get involved? It's over already. I think the FBI can help you contain the situation from here. How many times do I have to tell you?" Tony asked, putting his arm around Pepper, "I have a wedding to plan. My fiancé comes first, Ross. You don't need Iron Man for this."

"I am so tired of your bull shit, Stark!" Ross said. "You have done nothing to comply with me since signing the Accords. I'm on to you! You have your own agenda; you just want the public to continue supporting you. You think they will still see you as the good guy because you signed!"

Tony had heard this from Ross before, but the man clearly didn't remember.

Tony was afraid to say the next thing, but he had to know, "It's always the same conversation with you, Ross. Let me guess, next you're going to accuse me of knowing how to find Rogers? Or you'll tell me that I should help you figure out who the spider guy really is?"

Ross sneered at him. "I don't have to ask you those things," he said.

Tony almost lost it.

"…because you'll only give me more of your bull shit! You know what, Tony? I don't need you! I'll take care of the prison situation, Rogers, and Spider-Man myself! One day, Stark… I will have my answers!"

Ross began to storm off.

"Wait!" Tony called. "We can't leave it like this!" He stepped over to Ross and suddenly pulled him into a hug. "Let's hug it out! You and me!"

The man was aghast. "Get off of me, Stark!" His men helped to separate them, and Tony stumbled away into Pepper. No one ever saw him hand her the device he pulled from Ross's pocket.

With that, Ross stormed out of the building and left.

Tony and Pepper watched him go with triumphant smiles on their faces.

Once the man was at a safe distance, Wanda joined them. "I do not think he will remember what truly happened," she said.

"Thank God!" Pepper proclaimed. She looked down at the flip phone that Tony had given to her. "That was a little unconventional, Tony, but effective. It was important for us to get this back." She frowned a little, "How did you know that he would have it on him?"

Tony shrugged, "I was hoping that he would. Ross didn't seem the type to trust anyone else with it. He probably brought it along in hopes of making me use it again. Too bad for him that we were one step ahead of him this time."

"Sir…" FRIDAY said, "You have an incoming call from Colonel Rhodes."

Tony answered quickly, "Rhodey? You good?"

 _"We got everything, Tony! His system didn't really stand a chance against an android. I think we got everything. How'd you make out?"_ Rhodes said.

"Ross doesn't remember a thing. Wanda has him imagining a whole other reality for himself." Tony sighed, "I just hope it holds. He only needs one thing to remind him."

 _"We can't worry about that right now, Tony,"_ Rhodes said. _"The next steps are to bring the kid home, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst."_

Tony couldn't wait to bring the kid home. "I like how you think, Rhodey! Thanks for everything," He said. He owed him big time for this one.

 _"I'm happy to help. Peter's a good kid. As a matter of fact, why are you still wasting time talking to me? Go bring the poor kid home already! Vision and I are on our way back now."_ Rhodes said.

"Sounds good. I'm going to get a plane ready. I'll probably be gone before you're both back, but Peter and I will see you later!" Tony said cheerfully.

The call ended, and he turned to Wanda.

"I can't thank you enough, Wanda," he said.

"I did not do it for you, Tony," she said. "Vis told me about the kid. I know what it is like to be stuck on that prison. I am happy to help someone else to escape that fate."

Tony could see how serious she was, and he once again felt the guilt bubble up inside of him. "I'm truly sorry that you ever went through that. I was happy to hear that Cap was able to get you out of there," Tony said.

"And it was Steve who helped the kid escape," Wanda said, raising an eyebrow at him, "It sounds like you should be thanking him as well."

Tony would have to think about that. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to be thanking Steve for anything. He decided to change the subject. "I'm going to be firing up the private jet. Why don't you come along? I'll drop you off anywhere you'd like to go," he offered.

"I will be fine. I will wait for Vis. He'll help me find my next location," she said.

Tony nodded, "You can have him anytime you want. All I ask if for him to make me a promise to come back." Tony shrugged, "I'd hate to lose him, too. Bruce would be so ashamed of me if I were to lose another super-bot."

Wanda gave him a small smile, "You'll have to talk to Vision, but I'm sure we can all come to some agreement."

Pepper spoke up, "How about I go and give May the good news about Peter while the jet is prepared?" She was already turning towards the elevator. "Just don't leave without me, Tony!" she called back over her shoulder, "I'm coming with you!"

He smiled at her, "I'll be happy to have you, Ms. Potts!"

He bid farewell to Wanda and made his way to prepare the flight.

 _"I'm bringing my kid home,"_ he thought happily to himself. _"And we should even have him back for his birthday!"_

It felt like they would be able to celebrate so much more than the kid's 16th birthday now.

* * *

Wakanda was nothing like what Peter was expecting. The place was a thriving metropolis.

He noticed King T'Challa giving him a smile as he stood staring with his mouth agape at the surroundings. The Black Panther approached and put a friendly hand on his shoulder, "Come, my friend, I would like my sister to take a look at you. I know you are a quick healer, but I would feel much better knowing that that device didn't do too much damage."

Peter was confused, "Is your sister a doctor or something?"

"Or something," T'Challa answered with a cheeky grin.

A girl that looked to be about Peter's age came to greet them as they were making their way inside. She must have heard their conversation because she said, "What my brother means to say is that his little sister is a genius who is apparently very good with broken white boys that need to be fixed." She turned to T'Challa, "Really, brother? Another one?" she joked.

Peter liked her immediately. He couldn't help but to think that she would get along well with MJ. "Hey," he greeted. "I'm Peter." He held out his hand to her.

She shook his hand and gave him a warm, confident smile. "Shuri," she said. She looked at the bruising that was healing around his neck. "That looks like it hurt. This is about 5 days old then?" She inquired.

"Actually, it's probably from the pulse that almost killed me today," Peter answered honestly.

Shuri cocked her head at Peter, but T'challa spoke first, "I think you will find Peter to be a rather interesting patient for you, sister."

Peter decided there was no harm in being honest with the princess, "Actually, you may also know me as Spider-Man. I have some enhanced abilities from a mutation that came about after being bitten by a radioactive spider. I heal quickly."

She raised her eyebrows, "A quick healer, eh? What do you need me for?"

"They used a rather primitive looking device to subdue Peter at the prison," T'Challa shrugged, "Well… primitive by our standards, sister."

"Ah…So you want me to use our advanced technology to repair any possible damage caused from their primitive tech," She looked back to Peter, "Not a problem. You can follow me to the lab."

"Lab? You're speaking my language. Awesome!" Peter told her honestly.

Her work space and lab were beyond impressive. He thought Mr. Stark had cool technology, but Shuri had tools unlike anything Peter had ever seen before.

She ran a simple scan of his body simply by using a device around her wrist that then projected the results for them both to see. Shuri was fascinated by Peter's DNA. He was glad that she didn't react like the doctor at the prison and treat him like someone who was less than human.

She seemed pleased with how easily Peter could understand the explanations of her work.

He was also pleased to learn that no lasting damage could be found from the horrible collar. The only thing left was for the bruise to go away.

Shuri was telling Peter about her upgrades to T'Challa's Black Panther suit, when Bucky walked in.

"Ah! The White Wolf returns. You better not have damaged that new arm!" She told him.

He gave her a small, subtle smile, "I'm just here to return it."

She looked at him, studying him, "So? How was the test run?" Peter assumed she meant the arm, but then realized she meant his head when she added, "Any signs of dementia, old man?" As she spoke, she scanned his head and then projected an image of his brain activity.

Peter just stared in fascination.

"This old man seems… semi-stable," Bucky answered honestly. "The arm worked well, too."

"Of course, it did!" Shuri said, "I made it!"

"It ripped through the collar on my neck," Peter said. He looked at Bucky, "You saved my life. One moment later, and I wouldn't be here."

"Hey!" Shuri said, "I made that arm! You can thank me, too!"

Peter smiled at her, but Bucky answered, "I couldn't have saved the spider from being exterminated without you, Shuri!"

She just smiled at him. "You see, Peter? Manners!"

Steve walked in the room, "You must have added those when you were working around inside that head of his!" Natasha came in behind him.

"Good News, Peter." Natasha said. "I heard from Pepper. Wanda was able to alter Ross's reality. He thinks his men destroyed the Raft prison with Alien weapons, and he has no recollection of ever meeting Spider-Man or knowing his real identity."

Peter sat up straight, "Really? Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yep," Natasha said. "Stark's on his way to get you. He should be here in the morning."

Peter ran over and gave the Black Widow a hug. He was just so excited. "Wow! That's great! Thank you! All of you have been so good to me! I can hardly believe this! Wow!" He hugged Steve next, still unable to contain his excitement. They were happy to return the hugs… it had been a long time since they had been shown this kind of genuine gratitude and they appreciated Peter's friendly affection.

Bucky had removed his metal arm, and Shuri was helping him place a wrap around his side over where his arm should be. "Don't even think about it, kid!" Bucky warned when he saw Peter hugging the others. "I don't do hugs… one arm, you know?"

Shuri shook her head, "You can give a hug with one arm, old man. Don't be so grumpy all the time!"

Peter smiled, a little embarrassed by his hug fest. "Ok, sorry dude. How about a fist bump?" Peter held out his fist towards Bucky, but the man just looked genuinely confused.

Shuri laughed out loud. "Did you not hear me call him an old man? He does not know what a fist bump is! He's been taking century-long naps! I had to tell him that a high five wasn't a Nazi salute!"

Peter blushed. "Oh… uh… sorry." He put his hand by his side, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Will you settle for a hand shake, kid?" Bucky asked.

Peter looked up to see the man looking amused, a twinkle in his eye. "Y-yeah," Peter stuttered, "Of course. Thank you, Bucky. For everything." As they shook hands, Peter thought about what Steve had told him on the jet. He could tell that the man in front of him was not someone who was a natural killer. There was a protective and caring side to him. Peter wanted to talk to him more, but he realized that he was exhausted. This had been a really long day.

Steve noticed that Peter looked tired, "Come on, Peter. T'Challa showed me where you would be staying.

They bid Shuri a good night, and Steve, Natasha, Peter, and Bucky made their way upstairs.

"I actually have a place of my own to get back to," Bucky said.

Steve nodded to his friend. "I'll stop by before we leave."

"Wait!" Peter said, "When are you leaving? You guys will stay and get some sleep, right? I mean… you deserve some rest after saving my as… uh… my butt today!" Peter corrected himself after remembering a story from Mr. Stark about Cap scolding the team for using bad language.

Steve smiled at him. "Natasha, Sam, and I will probably leave early, Peter."

"Cap only needs a few hours, and I don't typically sleep late," Natasha clarified. "We just drag Sam out of bed."

Peter was thoughtful for a moment, "You mean, you want to leave before Mr. Stark arrives?"

The other three were quiet. "There's no guarantee we'll get out of here before he lands, but it may be best to avoid any confrontation," Steve answered honestly.

Peter frowned, "But maybe you should try to talk to him. I mean… he might want to thank you."

Bucky scoffed at that, "It's doubtful he'd thank us for anything. Certainly not me, kid. He hates me, and for good reason."

Peter looked like he wanted to argue, but Natasha stopped it by saying, "Peter, it's late. You need your rest. Tony won't be happy if you're exhausted when he arrives. He'll want to see that you're ok. We'll see how things go in the morning, ok? For tonight, Cap will be across the hall from you and I'll be next door."

Peter nodded, then turned to Bucky. "Goodnight! Thanks again!"

"Sleep well, kid," Bucky said. He nodded a farewell to Natasha and Steve, then made his way towards the exit as they moved in the direction of their rooms.

They found Sam in the hallway looking annoyed. "What? Y'all have a party without me or something?"

"Sorry, Sam," Steve said. "It looked like you were having a _serious_ conversation with Okoye. We didn't want to interrupt," he added with a wink to his friend.

"Well…" Sam said smoothly, "…it was a _serious_ conversation, so I'll forgive you this time."

The friends smiled at each other and Natasha just shook her head. "She's too good for you," she teased. "Goodnight Peter," she said. Without another word, Natasha was in her room with the door closed before Sam could even attempt to argue.

Peter just looked amused.

"That's your room there, Peter," Steve pointed. "T'Challa had them leave some food for you, too," he added.

"And this is my room. It's next to Cap's space. If you have a nightmare or something, go see grandpa. He don't need his sleep like daddy does," Sam said.

Peter couldn't help but laugh at Sam's joke. "Ok, _daddy_ ," he teased. "I'll be sure to knock really loud on _grandpa's_ door if I have any trouble."

They smiled and shook their heads at one another before finally saying good night and entering their rooms.

Peter found the space to be comfortable. He did grab some of the food and eat as he prepared to go to bed. He found some clothes that were left for him to sleep in, and he was happy to have a real bed to climb into. It felt like it had been far too long since he slept in a nice bed.

As he settled into sleep, he found himself feeling oddly sad. He was happy to be going home, and he was eager to see Mr. Stark and Aunt May. Yet, he had made new friends, and he was sad that he would have to say goodbye.

* * *

The flight to Wakanda seemed to take forever. Tony almost wanted to use an Iron Man suit just so he could get there faster, but Pepper reminded him that he couldn't carry Peter all the way back to New York.

Tony and Pepper got some sleep on the flight, or they tried to sleep. Pepper was able to sleep more than Tony. He was too anxious to see that the kid was ok.

He could hardly sit still as the private plane made its final descent into Wakanda.

T'Challa was there to greet Tony and Pepper as they got off the plane. There was a younger girl with him, and he introduced her as his sister.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stark," Shuri said. "We could have a lot to discuss. I think I could help you make improvements to that suit you use."

"Excuse me?" Tony asked the young girl. He didn't think he heard her correctly because he was sure that he was the one who could probably help her to make improvements on their technology.

"He is not here for a technology lesson this time, sister." T'Challa said. "He is anxious, I think, to pick up Peter."

"Hmm…ok," Shuri said. "I'll let Peter tell you. He knows I'm smarter." With that she shrugged and walked away.

T'Challa smiled at the look of confusion on Tony's face, "Did I just get insulted by Princess Tiana? I'm a little tired, so it's hard to tell."

"I would not let my sister know that you referred to her as a Disney princess. That is a touchy subject for her," T'Challa joked.

Pepper just shook her head and asked, "Is Peter still sleeping? He must have been exhausted!"

"I believe he slept well," T'Challa said. "He was up quite early. I think he was afraid he would miss bidding farewell to the others."

They had been walking together down a hallway that Tony assumed led to Peter, but Tony suddenly froze and stopped walking. "The others? They're still around?" Tony asked.

Pepper eyed him carefully, "Tony…" she warned, "They saved him. I'm sure they needed to rest, too, before heading out."

"Hmm…" Tony wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He hadn't planned for running into the others. He supposed he should have been ready for that, but he was too focused on Peter.

"Let us continue on our way," T'Challa said. "Peter will be happy to see you."

* * *

Peter had woken up early to catch the others before they left. He had gone with them to the hangar where some members of the Dora Milaje were waiting to fly them to their undisclosed location.

Shuri had given them some supplies, and Sam, Natasha, and Steve insisted on loading the items themselves, not wanting to make work for anyone else.

Bucky had also come to see his friends off.

It gave Peter a chance to talk to him some more. "Sergeant Barnes," Peter started.

"Woah… what happened to calling me Bucky, kid?" he asked. "That sounds so serious," he took a look at Peter's face, "Ah… so we are being serious?"

"I wanted to tell you… Steve told me… you know… about what really happened after Germany. Uh… in Siberia w-with Mr. Stark?" Peter wanted to be careful with this subject.

"I see," Bucky said. "So, you know then? Why Tony has a right to hate me?"

Peter shrugged, "I guess." He looked Bucky in the eye. "I've thought about it, and I want you to know… that… I… well, I don't hate you. I mean, yeah… partly because you saved my life. But also because I feel like I got to see who you really are."

Bucky studied Peter for a moment, "And who do you think I am?"

Peter smiled, "An ornery old man who doesn't know what a fist bump is." Bucky returned the smile and Peter added, "I don't see you as a killer."

The former Winter Soldier just shook his head, "You know, I didn't get it. When I first met you, I thought… this kid isn't a hero!" Bucky looked at him, "You proved me wrong, Peter. You're a fighter. You remind me of Steve…" he looked over to his friend who was still loading up the jet, "…the little guy with a big heart and a whole lot of fight in him."

Peter smiled at him, "Thanks… I think."

To Peter's surprise, Bucky raised his fist. "I'm a fast learner," he said.

Peter gave him a fist bump, and the two enjoyed the friendly moment together. At least until Bucky looked over Peter's shoulder and froze.

"Oh shit…" Bucky said.

Peter turned to see what Bucky was looking at. He saw a very shocked-looking Tony Stark.

"It's ok," He told Bucky. "I got this. I'll distract him if you'd feel better making your exit."

"Good idea, kid," the other man said, his eyes never leaving the stunned man staring in their direction.

"MR. STARK!" Peter yelled, running towards the man. The Iron Man finally pulled his eyes away from Bucky and smiled towards the teenager who was running at him.

Peter didn't waste any time, and he didn't bother to ask permission before throwing his arms around Tony. "You came!" Peter said.

Tony was stunned by the hug for only a moment, and then wrapped his arms around Peter tightly. "You sound surprised, Pete," he said.

Peter was surprised to hear his mentor choking back tears, so he pulled away to look at him. "Mr. Stark? Are you ok?" he asked.

Tony held Peter by the shoulders and looked him over, seeming to check him for injuries. Upon seeing Peter in good condition, he said, "I'm ok now, Pete." Tony pulled Peter in for another hug.

Peter found himself fighting tears now, but laughed to try to lighten the mood, "I guess we're there now, huh?"

Tony looked confused before realization dawned, "You hugged me first," he defended. "And there were no car doors to open for you this time, so yeah… I guess we've officially reached the hugging stage."

Pepper had her hands to her heart, "Can I get one of those, kid? Your aunt asked me to give you one from her anyway."

Peter smiled and rushed to give the beautiful redhead a hug.

As he did, he stole a glance back in the direction where Bucky had been standing earlier. The man was nowhere to be seen, and Peter figured that was probably a good thing.

As he let go of Pepper, he turned to see Tony staring towards the jet where the others had been loading supplies earlier.

Sam, Natasha, and Steve were all standing on the ramp, smiling at the reunion.

Peter noticed that Steve was looking at him with an _"I told you so"_ look in his eyes. Peter didn't think on that for too long. He turned to look at what Tony would do upon noticing the others.

Pepper held on to Peter. It seemed like she was almost holding him for comfort, like she was nervous about what would happen next.

Tony looked back at Peter and Pepper and noticed their anxiety. He looked closer at Peter, and then returned his gaze back to the trio on the ramp.

It was so quiet. Peter could hear the breathing of every person in the room.

Tony didn't speak. He just nodded at the others. The nod was his sign of thanks. It was all that he could give at the moment. Then, he turned back to Peter and Pepper. He put one arm around Peter and the other around Pepper; then, he began to walk them back in the direction of his private plane.

Peter turned to look back at his friends and rescuers. He gave them a sad smile.

He saw Steve give a shrug and return the smile before the three friends entered the jet with the ramp closing behind them.

Peter wanted to protest. He was ready to tell Mr. Stark that he should have said something to them, but then he felt the man shaking. He looked up to see him blinking away tears and heard him fighting to control his breathing. Peter realized that it was just too soon for him. He wasn't ready to face Steve yet.

"Mr. Stark…" Peter said. "I'm sorry."

Tony stopped walking and looked at Peter, confused, "Why are you sorry?"

"It's my fault. I put you through this. I know with everything that happened… I mean.. the raft… the Captain… coming here…" Peter listed these things slowly, giving them time to sink in. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this trouble."

Tony blinked. Then blinked again. Peter thought maybe he had managed to break the man.

"Tony…" Pepper whispered to him, trying to help him break out of his stupor.

"Y-yeah… I'm…" Tony shook his head and grabbed Peter's shoulder. "Peter, you don't have to apologize for any of this. I don't know why you think you owe me any apology at all!" Before Peter could even think about explaining, Tony continued, "Kid, I've spent days trying to think about how I could even _begin_ to apologize to you!"

"Oh no, Mr. Stark!" Peter insisted. "You aren't the one who messed things up!"

"I LEFT YOU THERE!" Tony cried, suddenly. "I couldn't get to you, and you were stuck on that prison! They had that _torture device_ around your neck and that _doctor_ …" Tony couldn't finish that thought. "My god, kid! I'm the one who is sorry! I wanted to find a way to get you out of there, but I failed you! I'm so sorry, Peter!"

Peter shook his head, "H-how did you… who told you about those things? About what happened?"

Tony didn't even think about that. "Oh… uh… Ross kept us informed of how he was keeping you 'comfortable.' He showed me what was happening with you so that I would cooperate and give him the others."

Peter's eyes shot open wide, "DOES AUNT MAY KNOW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED?" He was fighting panic.

Tony placed a second hand on Peter's other shoulder to steady him. "She only saw one image of you there. I told her that I would only tell her what she _needed_ to know. She agreed but insisted to see that you were alive. She knows about the thing on your neck, but that's pretty much it." Tony looked sad, "She's been so sick, Pete. She was resting a lot, so we couldn't even give her many updates. In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise. She might not have let us get away with telling her so little."

"But she was worried about me," Peter said sadly, "That's why she got sick."

"Oh no!" Pepper spoke up. "Peter, she was already getting sick when we discovered you were missing. We were fortunate to get her to the compound when we did. Tony made sure she was taken care of. He knew that was important to you."

"It felt like trying to look after her was the only thing that I could do for you," Tony explained. "Ross didn't really give me any room to do anything else."

Peter nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Mr. Stark… for everything, especially taking care of May. I'd like to see her."

They started walking again. T'Challa had gone back after leading them to Peter. He and Shuri were waiting by the plane and said their goodbyes. Peter insisted that Shuri visit the compound sometime and told her that he wanted her to meet his friends.

Before long, they were on Tony's plane and heading into the air towards New York.

Tony and Pepper looked tired. But Peter could tell that they were also relieved.

"There's something else I should tell you…" Peter spoke suddenly.

Tony looked worried.

"It's something else I'm sorry for. If I had told you, I don't think this would have happened. You'll understand that this really is my fault," Peter said.

Tony looked even more worried.

Peter's breathing was coming faster now. "I was trying not to think about it. I really hurt my friend…Liz. She was my Homecoming date, Mr. Stark. I went to Homecoming with Liz Toomes!"

"Your aunt told me that, Pete," Tony said. "What…"

"He figured it out that night," Peter began to cry, "He realized who I was when he was driving us… He recognized my voice and Liz was talking about how I would go missing. He realized I was missing from Liz's stories at the same time when Spider-Man was a part of _his_ stories! He threatened me when Liz got out of the car, but I went after him anyway… you know the rest." Peter swallowed, "I know how Ross found out. I know he got the information out of Toomes and killed him!" Peter was nearly sobbing now, "Liz's dad is dead because of my secret! This whole thing happened because I wasn't ready to face that night… or the truth! I should have told you, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry!"

Tony was quiet. Pepper was quiet. They were trying to take in the information that was spilling out of Peter.

"I could have spared everyone if I had told the truth. To tell the truth… I'm learning that is important, Mr. Stark. Even when we don't want to face it. I realize now that the truth always comes out! I'm sorry! It's my fault you went through all of this… you had to deal with Ross… you had to deal with the pain of seeing Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes! It's ALL my fault! I have no one to blame but myself." He fell into quiet sobs. He had his hands folded on his lap and his head down. He couldn't look at Tony. He couldn't bare to see the disappointment he would have on his face.

Peter heard shuffling. He saw the shadow of someone kneeling down in front of him, but he refused to look up.

"Peter…" It was Tony's voice, whispering his name gently.

He didn't answer, and he didn't look up.

"Peter…" Tony said a little louder.

Still Peter refused to look at him.

Tony sighed and gently said, "Peter Benjamin Parker… I need you to look me, kid."

Peter closed his eyes and let the tears fall. He took a deep breath, lifted his head, and opened his eyes to look at Tony.

The shame Peter held in his eyes was enough to shatter Tony's heart. "Oh, kid. I'm not mad at you. It's true… I wish I had known about Toomes…"

Peter started to lower his head again, but Tony took hold of his chin and lifted his head back up to look at him as he continued, "…but there is no guarantee that this wouldn't have happened anyway. Even if I knew about Toomes, Ross still could have gotten the information in the same way. This all sucks, kid. But you CANNOT take on all the blame. This was on Ross."

Peter blinked, not sure if he believed what Tony said.

"I wish I could put Ross away for what happened, Peter. I had to settle for letting Wanda inside his head. However, I believe the universe has a way of working things out. One day, Ross WILL get what is coming to him. He will pay for treating you like he did," Tony said. "Do you hear me, Peter? Someday… Ross will pay."

Peter just nodded.

Tony placed a hand on Peter's head lovingly, "Please don't cry, kid. I don't want you to hurt anymore! Your birthday is tomorrow! You'll be home for your 16th birthday!" Tony rubbed his head to get his attention, "That's exciting, right? I wanted to get you home for your birthday so badly, Pete."

Peter swallowed and looked between Tony and Pepper, "You mean… I'll still have a party?"

"If you want one, you will. At least the one at the compound. We did postpone the one that was set for Friday," Tony clarified.

At first, Peter was relieved, but then he worried about what his friends knew. "Why do the others think it was changed?"

"Don't worry," Pepper said. "We told your friends that May was really sick, which is true. They just think that you want to be with her until she's better."

Peter nodded, satisfied. "Yeah… that makes sense. Thank you."

"MJ and Ned are still coming tomorrow, is that ok?" Pepper asked.

Peter smiled at that, "It will be good to see them."

Before the subject was too far gone, Tony wanted to discuss one more thing with Peter… something else he apologized for. "Peter… I need to tell you… you don't have to apologize about me seeing Steve and… that _friend_ of his. That is just something that I need to deal with, but I don't want you to worry about that."

Tony was still kneeling in front of Peter, at eye level. Peter was looking at him and saw Tony give an uncomfortable shrug, "I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't weird to see you getting all chummy with Steve's friend and giving him a fist bump. That was weird… but that's your business, so I don't have to know…"

"I think you should…" Peter interrupted. "You should know… I know what happened between you… all of you."

Tony sat back on his heals and studied Peter. "You do?" he asked. "How?"

"It all came out when I asked Ste…uh…Captain Rogers about why he came for me. He confessed that he hurt you, and he told me what the Winter Soldier did. He told me he couldn't save the parents you loved from the Winter Soldier, and he wanted to try to save someone else you lov…uh…cared about," Peter corrected.

"Huh… that's… a lot to take in, kid. So, you know… and you gave the Winter Soldier a fist bump?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. Peter noticed that he wasn't mad. He was trying to understand.

"No…" Peter said, "I gave Bucky Barnes a fist bump. The Winter soldier was controled by Hydra and killed your parents. Bucky Barnes is free from Hydra control now, thanks to Shuri." Peter looked desperately at Tony, trying to get the other man to understand. "Mr. Stark, Bucky Barnes is the man who saved my life just in time. If it weren't for Bucky, I would be dead."

Tony's eyes went wide. He stared at Peter, stunned by his words.

He backed up and went back to Pepper's side, needing her presence. But his eyes never left Peter's.

 _"Oh shit! Peter almost died,"_ Tony thought. _"Oh F**k! I owe his life to the same man who killed my parents!"_ Tony thought that was even worse.

He was going to need some time to let that sink in. He also hadn't missed the fact that he would need to clarify something else with Peter. He really did need to be honest with the kid and let him know just _how much_ he cared.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this is posting late! This was harder to write than I anticipated and there is still so much to explore here.**

 **What will Tony do with the new information about Bucky?**

 **How will May react to seeing Peter?**

 **Will Peter be able to enjoy his party?**

 **Will they see Ross again?**

 **Stay tuned! And don't forget to review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm so sorry this is late! I didn't hit my goal for finishing the story; therefore, it fell into my fall semester. I'm going for my MBA and I'm taking a particularly time consuming class. I want to wrap this up soon, but my course work is going to have to come first. Bear with me, though. I still have a vision for this.**

 **Also, I think there was a little confusion based on some reviews for previous chapters. Basically, I tried to elude to the fact that Ross had the guards (including Wade and Wilson) killed. I picture him as being too proud to let anyone live and tell about his failure to keep his prisoners at the Raft. Therefore, he was the only loose end, and the Scarlet Witch fixed that. Plus, Rhodes and Vision destroyed any files or paper evidence. I get that it might seem unrealistic, but this is fiction. Also, it could always leave room for a future fic if things aren't _perfectly_ tied up. All in all, I have a method to my madness. This was a long chapter, but hopefully that makes it is worth the wait. Enjoy!**

 **As always, the characters aren't mine. They still belong to Marvel.**

Chapter 19: It's My Party…

Tony was having a difficult time. He thought that having Peter back would ease the anxiety that he had been feeling. But hearing Peter talk about almost dying sent chills down his spine. He was afraid to ask, but he had to know what happened.

"Peter," Tony said. "What do you mean you would be dead? What the hell happened?"

Peter sighed, "You know they put that _thing_ around my neck?"

Tony nodded.

"When the others arrived, and we started to make our escape and were fighting, one of Ross's men was prepared to use that thing in the worst way, Mr. Stark. It was used to send this debilitating pulse through my body; it was like shock waves rolling through me," Peter explained. "I knew that they could use it to kill me if they wanted, and just when they were about to send a shock that would… you know…" Peter just couldn't say it again. "Bucky ripped it off my neck with his metal arm just in the nick of time."

Everything was quiet while Tony and Pepper absorbed that information.

"I know that doesn't change what he did as the Winter Soldier, but I do think he's trying to be the man he once was… the one he truly is," Peter added.

Tony was slowly nodding his head, "I can't deny that I'm grateful to have you back alive, kid. But I can't help but to still see what he did to my parents. While there may be some hope for that man's redemption, I'm not sure _I can_ ever forgive him for what happened to _my_ parents."

Peter was quiet and sitting with his head down. He supposed that was to be expected.

"However…" Tony added. "…It might mean that I won't try to kill Barnes if I see him again. I suppose he's earned the chance to make some things right."

That made Peter brighten up. "That's great, Mr. Stark. I think that's really all he wants."

"There's something else, Pete," Tony said. "But not about Barnes; it's more about what you said about Cap helping you…" Tony looked at Pepper. He noticed she was smiling at him. He had no doubt that she knew exactly what he was thinking. She reached a hand over and grabbed Tony's hand.

"I'm going to have to admit that Steve redeemed himself a little by getting you out of there, Peter," Tony said.

Pepper gave his hand a squeeze and nudged his shoulder with her own, wanting him to say everything that she knew he was thinking.

"Kid…" Tony started, staring at Peter and waiting for him to meet his eyes.

Peter looked at him, unsure of where this was going. "Yeah?" he asked.

"…you have this thing about you. A way of just getting right in here," Tony said pointing to his heart.

"Uh… I…" Peter was a little confused. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Tony held up a hand, indicating for him to just listen. "I'm bad at this… sorry. I'm a little outside my comfort zone." Tony scrubbed a hand over his face before continuing, "Family is a new thing for me, kid. I haven't really let anyone close to me since my parents died. I did not want to deal with… attachments… or maybe the emotions that go with those attachments…" Tony shrugged, still trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking.

Pepper was shaking her head at him, but the look on her face was endearing. "You got this, Tony," she said. "Use your words."

Peter was starting to find this amusing. Did Peter dare to hope that Tony was about to call him family?

Tony gave Pepper a look, pretending to be offended, "Excuse me, Ms. Potts. I know how to use my words! I just need to find the right ones… delicate topic and all." Tony took a deep breath, looked at Peter and continued, "Somewhere along the way, Peter. I think I started to see you as the son I never knew I wanted. I don't just care about you, kid. I… uh… one could say… that I love you … you know …like a son." Tony gave a relieved sigh, happy to finally say it out loud.

Now he was looking at Peter, trying to get a read on how Peter felt about that.

"I… uh… wow…" Peter cleared his throat, wanting to talk past the lump that had formed there. "Do you mean that, Mr. Stark?"

Tony gave him a quizzical look, "Why wouldn't I? I said it, didn't I?"

"Well… yeah…" Peter shrugged his shoulders, feeling awkward. "It's just one of those things that seems too good to be true. I love Aunt May, but I was missing that person in my life who was like a father." Peter gave a small laugh. "I guess somewhere along the way, I began to love you like a father, Mr. Stark. I just wasn't sure how to say anything… or how you'd feel about it."

Pepper was smiling and was trying to discreetly push away tears that were beginning to fall from her eyes.

Tony noticed. He was happy to be getting this all out in the open, but this was Tony. Serious moments weren't really his thing. "Good! Great! Hey… I'm glad we settled this!" He tried using that typical Tony Stark snarky attitude, but he was clearly fighting with his own emotions.

Peter didn't miss the glassy look in Tony's eyes or the strain in his voice as he spoke. He could tell that he was touched and almost moved to tears like Pepper. Peter gave a small laugh. He knew Tony well enough to know that they were on the same page. They felt the same way about each other.

They were family now.

"So…" Peter said. "Are you thinking you might talk to Steve? Tell him that you're thankful to have me back?"

Tony gave an incredulous shrug, "I'm pretty sure he got that message in Wakanda. I gave him the nod!" He was trying to defend himself, but he could tell by the looks from Peter and Pepper that they felt like that wasn't enough.

Tony gave a long sigh, "Ok…look. When the time is right, I will have a heart to heart with Grandpa." He looked carefully at Peter and Pepper, "I'm just going to need a little more time."

They each gave him a nod. However, Pepper felt the need to add, "I just think it's going to be harder for you if you wait too long."

"I'll make a mental note of that, Pep." Tony replied. He was trying to be sarcastic, but there was sincerity detectable in his voice. He clearly knew that Pepper was right. He shouldn't put it off too long.

They all fell silent, and Peter rested his head back on his seat. He was very tired, and he noticed Pepper and Tony looked just as tired. He decided if he rested, they might do the same. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. Thank you for telling me this. It means a lot." He yawned. "Please don't be offended now, though, if I take a little nap. All of this has made me a bit tired."

Tony nodded, "Get some rest, kid. We'll be back at the compound with your Aunt May before you know it."

It didn't take long for Peter to doze off. Tony and Pepper relaxed, knowing that he was really going to be ok. Pepper rested her head on Tony's shoulder, and he leaned his own head on top of hers. Soon, the whole plane was silent as the three people on board were resting comfortably.

* * *

May had fallen asleep. Earlier that morning, Happy had told her that Peter was going to be ok. She knew that Tony was going to get him and bring him home. She had spent so much time resting. She had tried to stay awake. The doctor told her that she was on the mend, and she had been able to eat an actual meal. Happy was there with her, offering her as much help as he could. She thought he was being so sweet. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to help her stay awake.

Now, she was pulling herself from sleep. She felt refreshed and noticed an energy that she hadn't felt in days. Glancing over at the clock, she noticed that it was already late afternoon… almost evening. Surely Peter and the others should be back by now!

She could feel the weight of someone at the foot end of the bed and figured that Happy must have fallen asleep along with her.

May pulled herself up into a sitting position and glanced towards the end of the bed, ready to wake Happy and scold him for letting her fall asleep. She would see about having him get an update on when the others would arrive.

She froze when she noticed that the person at the end of the bed wasn't Happy.

The figure looked an awful lot like Peter sitting in a chair, leaning forward with his arms on the bed. The head resting on those arms looked like Peter's head. The heavy breathing coming from that sleeping figure sounded like Peter's breathing when he dozed off.

Did she dare to hope that he was home? Or was this some sign that her fever was back? Perhaps she was hallucinating?

Slowly, May reached her hand down towards the head. She placed her fingers in the wavy brown hair. She brushed her fingers through the hair, and she could feel the heat from the sleeping form. He was real! Peter was home! She noticed that he was beginning to stir.

Peter blinked his eyes open and looked up at her. May had never been happier to see those brown eyes!

His eyes widened when he noticed her awake and smiling at him. He sat up quickly, "Aunt May?"

Her smile grew bigger, "P'ter? You're home!" She moved her hand to rest on his cheek. Her voice was a little weak, but there was no missing the joy and relief.

Peter took a hold of the hand that she had on his face and pulled it down into his own. "Aunt May! How are you feeling? I'm so sorry that I wasn't here for you!" The words spilled out of his mouth quickly.

"What?" she asked him, give him a disbelieving look. "It's not your fault, sweetheart. You have nothing to be sorry for!" she whispered to him, squeezing the hand that was holding hers.

"I just wish that I had been here for you," Peter said. He was fighting back tears, and he could see May was fighting that same battle with her own emotions.

"Oh, Peter!" May said. "I wish you had been here, too, but only because that would mean that you hadn't been…" her eyes widened as she thought about just where he had been. She sat up a little more, trying to examine him. "Why are we worrying about me? It was just the flu! How are you? Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" It was May's turn to have the words spill out quickly.

Peter shook his head at her and smiled, "I'm going to be just fine, Aunt May. Especially now that I know you're ok." They smiled at each other warmly, still clutching hands. "I promise… I promise to tell you more, Aunt May," Peter said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "But right now… I just want to sit with you. Is that ok?"

May nodded, "That sounds perfect. I'm so glad to have you back, Peter!"

He moved his chair up closer to the head of the bed. This time, he settled in so that he was easier for her to reach. May once again moved her hand to his head, brushing her fingers gently through his hair. They didn't need words. They just sat together, enjoying the knowledge that each one would be ok.

Everything was as it should be.

* * *

At some point, Peter made it back to his room. He had spent the evening with May, helping her back to her own room on the third floor so that she could be closer to him. He could hardly believe that he could sleep any more than he already had. He supposed that days locked up in prison had taken a lot out of him.

He woke up in his room feeling a little out of sorts. He fond himself getting dressed in a daze. It felt strange returning to a normal routine. It was odd to have the freedom to move around again. He went to the mirror and studied his reflection. It had only been a few days, but Peter could have sworn that he somehow looked older, more mature even. He put his hands to his neck. The bruising was gone, and yet, he was almost sure that he could still feel that horrible device around his neck.

 _"Come on, Peter,"_ he told himself. _"Pull yourself together. It's over."_

He took a deep breath, collecting himself.

He opened his eyes and moved into his sitting area. He took another deep breath, smelling the air. Peter smiled and moved to exit into the hallway. He knew that smell all too well.

 _"Someone is making pancakes and bacon!"_ he thought happily.

Peter made his way towards the kitchen, and then he stopped at the sight that greeted him.

Aunt May was sitting at the counter with what looked to be a cup of tea.

Cooking pancakes and bacon in the kitchen were none other than MJ and Ned. He stood there blinking at the scene in front of him. He thought he must be dreaming, but then Ned turned around and saw him.

"PETER! You're awake!" Ned yelled, nearly dropping the plate of pancakes that was in his hands. "We wanted to surprise you!"

MJ turned away from the stove. "About time! Happy Birthday, Peter!" she said.

 _"Happy Birthday?"_ Peter thought, his eyes suddenly widening in realization. "Oh… yeah… It's Thursday, isn't it?" he asked, still a little stunned.

May was looking at him with concern. She slowly pulled herself up and moved towards him, "Peter? Honey… are you alright?" She asked.

Peter walked forward to meet her. She still looked tired and weak herself, and Peter didn't want her to get light headed. He slipped an arm around her waist and walked her back towards her seat in the kitchen.

"Yeah… I…" Peter looked at his friends, "How did you guys get here? When did you get here?"

His friends continued to set out breakfast on the counter. "Happy came to get us," MJ explained. "When we got here and found out that you were still resting, we decided to surprise you with breakfast."

"I was just about to come wake you," Ned said. "But here you are!" Ned came around and wrapped his friend in a brotherly hug. "It's so good to see you, dude! I was so worried when Happy called." Ned began to repeat his conversation with Happy, mimicking the other man's voice. "He was all like … _where's Peter?_... and I was all like I thought he was picked up already… and he was like _what? I was supposed to pick him up!_... and I was like this CANNOT be good!"

MJ cut in to stop her rambling friend, "He let us know you were in a bit of trouble, but he didn't go into detail," she said. He noticed that she was studying him with a worried expression. "May told us a little more when he got here, are you… will you be ok?" She was moving closer to him, yet she almost seemed afraid to get too close.

Peter walked over to stand in front of his girlfriend. "Yeah… I'm going to be fine. It's good to be home." He wrapped her in a hug.

She smiled at him. "So, you're ok? You're not hurt?" He noticed there was a funny edge to her voice.

"Y-yeah… I'm ok." he said.

"That's good," She said. Then she smacked him on the arm and yelled, "Don't ever scare us like that again, Parker! We didn't even know if we would see you again!"

Peter rubbed his arm and looked at her. "Yeah… well… it wasn't exactly a picnic for me, either!"

She looked at him again, noticing that he had a bit of a haunted look in his eyes. She felt bad for smacking him now. It had just been all so stressful, and she didn't really mean to take it out on him. She pulled him into another hug. "Ugh… I'm sorry! Th-this has not been the spring break I was expecting. I know it's not what you wanted either. I'm sorry I smacked you! I'm not really mad. I just- I don't know. I don't think I've ever been so worried about someone in my life!"

He grabbed her shoulders, held her steady, and studied her face. He saw the mix of relief, worry, and guilt that she held there. He offered her a smile, "Let's not dwell on it, ok? How about we sit down and eat this awesome breakfast together? This looks amazing, guys! Thank you!"

The friends sat together and starting eating. Ned, MJ, and May mostly just picked at the food. Peter, on the other hand, was starving. He didn't hold back. He was happy to eat the amazing meal his friends had prepared for him. They didn't talk much as he was eating. They just enjoyed the familiar feeling of having each other's company.

Or, at least they enjoyed each other's company until Peter was finished. Then, the silence started to grow uncomfortable.

"Peter…" Ned said. "What happened? I mean we know some things, but…" Ned trailed off, seeming as if he wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.

May looked at the group of friends, "Ahem… I think I'm going to go get a little rest before the main event this evening. You guys can catch up and I'll see you a little later, ok?"

They nodded to her and watched as she made her way towards her room. "Oh!" She added. "I'm supposed to tell you not to go up to the fourth floor before your party. Pepper and Tony don't want to see you upstairs before 4:00!" With that, May opened her door and entered her room.

"Peter…" this time it was MJ that spoke. "I mean… we want to know, but if you aren't ready to talk about it…"

"It's ok," Peter said. "I want to tell you everything. You guys have been here for me through everything. You've sacrificed so much of your time to help me, so I think I owe you an explanation of what went on over the past week."

Peter looked up and noticed the time. It was already 11:00 am. He supposed this meal had been more of a brunch than a breakfast.

"You're sure?" Ned asked. "I mean… it's your birthday. Maybe we should do something fun?" he offered.

Peter looked at his friends. He had no doubt that they should do something fun, but he felt like they wouldn't really be able to have fun until their questions were answered.

Peter smiled and shook his head. "How about we head back to my room? We'll sit down in there and I'll tell you everything. Then, we'll play X-Box and have fun after that."

His friends nodded at him, and they made their way to Peter's room. Once they were all seated and comfortable, Peter took a breath and told his story.

He started with leaving school and then walked them through every moment that he remembered. He was surprised to discover that he actually needed to talk about it. He didn't hold back anything from his friends. He told them everything that he remembered, processing the information for himself almost as much as his friends. As he spoke, MJ had moved closer. She tucked herself into his side and wrapped an arm around him, doing her best to provide him with some comfort as he spoke. There were moments when the three friends fought tears together, laughed uncomfortably through other moments, and gave little cheers of excitement when he talked about the arrival of the rogue Avengers who came to save him. He was honest with them about Bucky saving his life.

When Peter told them that part of the story, he gave his friends a moment to process. He could tell that they were shaken a bit to think that he could have been killed.

MJ swiped away a tear, "I can't believe I was mad at you. I'm sorry, Peter. I had no idea!"

"How could you? I'm sorry you guys were kept in the dark. I probably would have been a little mad myself," Peter admitted. "This life… sometimes you guys won't know what's happening with me. But I promise to tell you whatever I can." He looked at them. "I need you guys. You know?"

"We need you, too, Peter!" Ned told him. "We love you, dude!" Ned blushed, "Well… not like _that_. I mean… MJ… she loves you like _that_. But I think of you more like a brother."

Peter smiled and laughed at his friend. This is why he needed them. They provided a sense of normalcy in his crazy life. Next, Peter told them about coming home. He told them about going to Wakanda and meeting Shuri. MJ had smiled upon hearing about the princess, and she agreed that they would likely make good friends. He also told them about the Scarlet Witch changing Ross's reality so that he was able to come home.

The only part he left out was his own fear that somehow Wanda's magic… or whatever is was… wouldn't last.

Peter also decided to tell them about the conversation he had with Tony. He admitted to his friends that he was like a father to him.

MJ gave a small laugh, "Well, duh!" she said. "We could see that!" She gestured between herself and Ned.

"What? You could?" Peter asked.

"Peter," Ned said. "We know you better than anyone… with the exception of May, of course. You would tell Mr. Stark everything in those 'reports' of yours. It was always more like a kid filling in his dad on what happened during school that day or something."

MJ nodded. "It was obvious that he was becoming more than just a mentor. Plus…" she gestured around the room "…look at this place. He spoils you! You have your own room, your own lab space, he lets you visit whenever you want. He spends a lot of time and money on you, Peter. Do you see him doing that for the other Avengers?"

Peter thought about that. Most of the team was split up at the moment, but he never really heard about Tony putting the time and attention into anyone else. He supposed they were right. "Huh… yeah… I guess I was blind to it," Peter admitted. "But I'm happy about it, you know? After losing Uncle Ben…" Peter took a breath, "it's nice to have Mr. Stark to look up to."

"Dude!" Ned said excitedly. "Iron Man is like your SuperDad! You know… he's a superhero and father figure, so he's SuperDad! Or maybe Iron Dad! Whichever one you like!"

Peter shook his head at Ned and smiled, "I think I'll stick with Mr. Stark. Anything else seems… kinda… weird."

MJ smiled at him. "So…" She said sensing that Peter was ready to move on. "What games do you have? I feel like I need to show you two losers just how awesome I am on the X Box!"

They settled on a game and began to play. This time with his friends was the perfect way to recover. Peter had suffered through what many would call a traumatic experience, and a familiar routine with his friends was exactly what he needed.

He realized that he had a lot to celebrate for his birthday this year.

* * *

Tony and Pepper had decided to host Peter's Party on their private floor. There was plenty of space there, and they could keep the special celebration away from any curious eyes or surprise visitors. They weren't expecting any surprises, but they were feeling extra cautious and protective.

Pepper was helping Happy hang up some streamers when May arrived upstairs. As soon as Happy saw her, he dropped what he was doing and rushed to her side.

Pepper thought about yelling at him for leaving her to decorate alone, but she decided to let it go when she noticed how May appreciated his attention. She watched Happy help May to the couch. She couldn't help but think that there was something blooming between the two of them. She looked over in Tony's direction and could tell that he was thinking the same thing, if the goofy grin on his face was any indication.

"How are you feeling, May?" Pepper asked, wanting to say something before Tony tried to tease them.

"Oh! I'm feeling a lot stronger today. I think having Peter home has helped give me a boost of energy, too!" May answered.

"How's the kid doing? Was he happy to see his friends?" Tony asked her.

May raised her eyebrows and shook her head a little, "Honestly, I was a little worried about him when he came out of his room this morning. He seemed so surprised to see them, and he didn't even seem to remember that today was his birthday!"

They all stopped and looked at her in surprise at that remark.

"He was a little out of sorts at first, but I think his friends really helped to bring him around. I checked on them before I came upstairs. They were playing video games in Peter's room and seemed to be having a really nice time together," May told them.

Everyone relaxed knowing that he had settled in and was enjoying time with his friends.

Pepper spoke up and asked, "Does he know we arranged to have his friends spend the night?"

"Not yet," May shook her head. "They want to surprise him and let him know after the party. I'm thankful their parents agreed to let them stay."

"They think they're keeping Peter company while you're recovering from the flu. Both kids' parents seemed oddly fine with it," Happy chimed in.

"I feel bad that I didn't get to take care of the upgrades to that car," Tony said.

"Oh no!" May exclaimed. "Where is the car? I didn't even think about it! I was so distracted by everything else."

Happy smiled at her, "I had it all taken care of. It's cleaned up and ready to go down in the garage."

May smiled at him, "Thank you, Happy! That's a relief. I guess we can just walk him down there to see it sometime during the party?" She asked, looking at Tony.

"Yeah… something like that. Maybe I can just tell the kid that we'll do some upgrades together," Tony answered.

"He'd love that, Tony. I think that's a great idea," May confirmed. "I was a little worried that he would be disappointed about his other party, but he seems content just to be with the people closest to him and stay here longer," May added.

"We're glad you're both staying longer," Pepper told May honestly.

"Stay as long as you want. I can get Dr. Cho to sign a note for the school. I'd say the kid earned the right to play hooky," Tony said.

May shook her head, "Good luck getting Peter to agree to that. He takes school pretty seriously. But I won't protest if you want to make the offer."

Tony smiled. He was a little surprised May would agree to letting Peter skip school, but he supposed she might like the extra time with him, too. Those five days without the kid were unbearable.

"This looks amazing!" May said as she looked all around the room. "Thanks for doing this for him."

"I'm just glad we were able to do this," Tony said honestly. He was very glad they were organizing a birthday party because they came far too close to organizing a funeral. The idea of Peter dying was horrifying. Tony wasn't sure if he would ever be able to survive losing the kid.

* * *

Before long, Peter's birthday celebration began. It was perfect. The upstairs was decorated with red and blue streamers. Pepper had a banner made that read, "Happy 16th Birthday, Peter!" The best part about the banner was that it was a Spider-Man theme. She told him that the party store was now offering that particular theme for kids, and she couldn't resist getting it for him. May had also placed an order at Peter's favorite bakery in Queens for his cake. It was his favorite: red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. Apparently, Happy had picked up the cake when he went to get Ned and MJ.

Peter looked around the room. These were the people he trusted the most. They weren't just here to celebrate Peter's 16th birthday; they were here to welcome Spider-Man back as well. Peter looked at the guests: Pepper was standing with Tony, Rhodes was talking to Vision, May was having a conversation with Happy, Ned and MJ were getting food, and T'Challa and Shuri were getting off the elevator.

" _Wait! What?"_ Peter thought, his mouth dropping open.

He rushed over to greet them, "Oh my god, what are you… I mean… how?" He couldn't find his words.

T'Challa spoke first. "Stark mentioned that he was happy to get you home in time to celebrate your birthday, so I felt like it was only fitting that Shuri and I come to join in that celebration."

Tony walked over to join them, shaking the king of Wakanda's hand in a friendly greeting. "Were you surprised, kid?" Tony asked.

"What? Yeah! I mean… I can't believe you could make it here!" Peter said.

Shuri shook her head and laughed, "Look who you are talking to! We had no problem getting here on our jet. It probably took our jet half the time to get here compared to that private one you had to fly back in."

Tony gave her a look, "Listen, Princess! I might just make you put your tech were your mouth is," he joked with her.

She had no problem firing back, "Haven't you seen it already? You see the necklace my brother wears? I made that for him!"

"Wow! You make jewelry? Impressive!" Tony quipped.

"That is not just a necklace! Is your head made of Iron, too? My brother's suit is held within the teeth of that necklace! I designed it." She beamed, "And it is much subtler than that glowing disc you wear!"

Tony was a little taken aback. He wanted to argue more, but Peter wanted Shuri to meet his friends.

"You're going to have let her win this one, Mr. Stark. Come on, Shuri, I want you to meet my friends," Peter told her.

T'Challa and Tony watched them go and then went to join Rhodes and Vision. Pepper had joined in a conversation with May and Happy.

Ned and MJ had seen the arrival of the newcomers but stayed back, knowing Peter was likely to introduce them at the right time.

"Hey guys! This is Shuri, the princess of Wakanda!" Ned and MJ smiled at her. Peter introduced Ned first. "Shuri, this is my best friend: Ned Leeds."

Ned shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you, your highness. Is your brother the Black Panther?"

Shuri laughed at the question, "He is. And I am the brain behind the Black Panther! It's nice to meet you, Ned." She noticed he seemed very excited.

Peter spoke again, "And this is my girlfriend: Michelle Jones. But we call her MJ."

MJ came forward and held her hand out to Shuri who took it gladly. "It is so nice to meet a kindred spirit," MJ said. "I consider myself to be the brain of this group," she said, pointing from herself to Peter and Ned.

"Yes… I believe that to be true." Shuri joked.

The four of them settled into friendly conversation. He noticed that his friends were happy to welcome Shuri. MJ seemed especially comfortable with her, and he was so thankful that Shuri and T'Challa were there.

Peter could hardly believe they went through all of this trouble for his birthday. The only thing he could have asked for was that _the others_ could be there. He couldn't even remember if Steve or the others knew about his birthday, and he doubted that Tony would have been comfortable having them. He supposed he should just be grateful for the people who could be there.

Tony tapped a glass and got everyone's attention, "Hello! Hello! I'd like your attention for just a moment!" When it was quiet, he continued, "We're happy that we could get together to celebrate Pete's 16th birthday this evening. This has turned into an extra special birthday because it is also doubling as a welcome home party." Tony looked in Peter's direction, "Kid, we couldn't be happier to have you back here to celebrate. I can tell you that every person in this room was anxious to have you here today."

Peter looked around and saw everyone looking in his direction, and so he gave an awkward smile back to them, feeling a little self-conscious.

Tony started again, "The 16th birthday is special! It's an age of responsibility. We introduce our youth to the wonderful world of driving! It's also an age of trust. As adults, we tell these kids that we are trusting them to be responsible when behind the wheel." Tony looked towards Peter, "Pete… you have proved that you can be responsible and trustworthy. So…" A screen appeared in front of Tony with a 3-D hologram of the Toyota Prius.

Aunt May had come to stand beside Peter. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and said, "It's a new car!"

Tony gave an awkward shrug and felt the need to add, "Your aunt chose the make and model. I had nothing to do with that!"

May rolled her eyes at Tony and turned to look at Peter's face. Peter's mouth was agape. He turned to his aunt, "Is that… is that for me?"

"Well…" May answered, "…It's _ours_. Tony was able to help us get something that would be more reliable. Now, we can drive ourselves upstate… and… when you're a little older and have more practice… you can drive yourself."

"What?! I…" Peter opened and closed his mouth like a fish, "You mean… that is going to be ours?" He asked looking at May. "That's a brand-new car!"

Tony rolled his eyes, "Don't get too excited, kid! It' not like it's an Audi or anything!"

This time May became verbal, "TONY!" she scowled, "Let him be excited!"

"That's… wow… this is…" Peter tried to find the words, "I can't believe you did this for me. When do we get to pick it up?"

"It's already here!" May said with a smile. "Happy made sure it got back here… well, I was driving it back, but then Tony called and…" Her smile instantly faded. May attempted to recover. She didn't want to upset him. "I mean… I was picking up the car when I went to visit my friend near Albany… and then… well… I got back to compound a different way and Happy made sure the car got back here." Her words spilled out in an awkward sort of stutter.

Tony stepped in to help her, "What your aunt is saying is that the car is here! It's in the garage, so we can take a look at it! And… by take a look, I mean you and I are going to have to do some upgrades on that thing!" Tony shrugged, "…because it's a freakin' Toyota Prius! It's going to need something!"

Peter was processing everything quickly. The timing of his aunt's trip made more sense to him now. He pushed down the guilt that her surprise for him was interrupted by his capture and her illness. The guilt was short-lived, however. The idea of working on the car with Tony was so exciting!

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Rhodes asked. "You should go check it out, Peter!"

"Yes!" Shuri cut in. "A car is very exciting. And when you are finished making minor upgrades with Mr. Stark, I will help you with some major upgrades. I can help you learn how to drive that car remotely from your house. Yet, it will seem as if you are actually in the car!" She said proudly. She ignored Tony, who was staring at her with an annoyed expression. She figured he wasn't too happy to have her talk about her tech skills and try to steal his thunder.

Peter swallowed past a lump in his throat. He looked at the smiling faces in the room. He was so full of gratitude. He cleared his throat, "Ahem… I… uh… I just want to thank all of you! I mean… especially Aunt May and Mr. Stark… the car is so much more than I ever expected! But… you all have come together to give another great gift, and that is your presence! It means so much to have each one of you here, truly!"

Tony didn't miss the fact that something was off. He knew what it was. The kid would have liked all of the Avengers together. He sighed to himself and thought, _"Maybe for his 18th birthday. I'll get him a nice Audi R8 and have the others drive it up to him here the compound or something."_ A sad smile crossed his face at that thought.

Before Tony could think of that much longer, Shuri spoke up, "Before you go to see your new little car, I have a gift for you."

Everyone looked at her expectantly.

She smiled, "Well… It's not in here. I left it on the jet."

T'Challa smiled at his sister and nodded at Peter, "You should go with her. I can tell you that she has been anxious to show it to you." He looked at MJ and Ned, "Your friends are welcome to join you."

"Oooohhhh…." Ned said quietly. He was trying to contain his excitement. "This is the coolest thing!" He looked at T'Challa who was eyeing him carefully, "I mean… thank you… y-your highness, sir! We would love to join Peter on your jet!"

T'Challa smiled again. Shuri looked like she was about to jump out of her skin, "Great! Shall we go then?"

They started toward the elevator, "WOAH! Hey!" Tony called. "Wait a minute, princess! You can't steal our thunder like that! You better not be one-upping us and giving him a nicer car! I won't allow that!"

Shuri rolled her eyes, "Relax, Mr. Stark! I'll wait to "one-up" you with my technology… not my gifts."

Tony looked like he was about to make a comment, but Pepper stepped up and stopped him.

Shuri smiled, "We'll go down to the jet, and you can go get that little car from the garage. Maybe you can get it ready so that Peter can take it for a spin when we are done!" She suggested.

"Hey, yeah! That would be great!" Peter commented.

May beamed, "That sounds like a great idea. We'll get the car ready, Peter. You meet us outside when you're done. We'll finish the night off with cake later!"

Peter, Ned, MJ, and Shuri quickly nodded in agreement before continuing to make their way to the hanger where the Wakandan jet was waiting.

* * *

Peter couldn't believe how things had changed. It was only a few days before when things seemed hopeless. Now, he was home and feeling nothing but love from his friends. This was turning out to be a pretty good birthday after all.

"Shuri," Peter said, "You really didn't have to get me anything! It's cool just having you and your brother here!"

"Yeah," MJ added, "I'm glad to have another sensible person around here!"

"Just stepping foot on that jet will be epic!" Ned added, barely containing his excitement.

Shuri smiled at them, "Don't get too excited, Peter. I'm afraid this is a gift that you cannot keep with you."

Peter looked at MJ and Ned. He was clearly confused, and his friends just shrugged their shoulders at him. He figured that it would make more sense after he saw what it was.

Shuri did something with the beads on her wrist, and a ramp dropped as they approached the impressive black jet.

"So cool!" Ned commented.

The four teenagers stepped on board. Shuri and Peter stepped ahead of MJ and Ned, the latter taking their time to look all around them in awe.

Ned put a hand to his chest, "Oh my god! It's like something from Star Wars, dude! Only… this is real! I… just want to thank you, Peter… for continuing to allow me to follow you on this incredible journey!"

"Chill, Ned! You're embarrassing yourself!" MJ said to him quietly. She straightened up and looked at Shuri, "This is awesome. I'm assuming you helped to design some of this amazing tech?"

"Of course," Shuri confirmed.

MJ gave the other girl a friendly smirk and nodded her head, "right on!"

The friends laughed together. After Shuri pointed out a few things to Ned, Peter noticed that the ramp had closed. "We going somewhere?" he asked, ignoring the excited look on Ned's face.

"No." Shuri said simply, "I just wanted to make sure we were alone." She nodded her head towards the back of the jet. "Go on. Your gift is waiting for you."

Peter looked at her confused. He turned and made his way to the back, and his friends followed closely behind. Peter opened a door into the back, stepped inside, and froze…

Ned and MJ bumped into him.

"Peter?" Ned said, "What are you… OH MY GOD!" Ned just stared ahead, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

"Woah!" MJ commented. "I didn't see that coming."

In front of them, sitting around a table and playing cards were four individuals: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Sam Wilson.

Ned leaned on MJ for support and put his hand to his chest once again. Between gasping breaths, Ned said, "That's… that's… ooohhh… this is… can you believe…"

Peter interrupted his friend's rambling, "What are you guys doing here?" He smiled and stepped towards the rogue Avengers who had saved his life. "I thought you were all leaving… how… I mean… how did you get here with T'Challa and Shuri?" Then his eyes went wide, and he lowered his voice as if he needed to be cautious, "Does Mr. Stark know you're here?"

Bucky stood up first, shook his head, and stepped forward. "I'd like to make it back to Wakanda alive," he joked.

"The Winter Soldier!" Ned said, sounding every bit like an excited fan.

"Er… I just go by Bucky these days, kid." Bucky clarified.

"Sorry! Uh… Mr. Bucky Soldier, sir!" Ned stumbled. MJ smacked him on the arm, trying to silence him.

Steve stood up beside his friend, "Don't worry, son. I'm sure you're not the only one who will make that mistake. But… I like to think that people will learn that Bucky Barnes is not a threat."

Both MJ and Ned stood staring at the man whose face was usually seen on the television at their school. He had more facial hair and looked a little different, but his voice and confident stature gave him away. This time, Ned said nothing. He just stared, trying to remember to breathe.

It was MJ who said, "Captain America." She meant for it to be a simple statement, but those who knew her could detect the admiration in her voice.

Steve smiled again, "What's left of him." His smile was a little sad, but they didn't have too much time to dwell on that. Sam Wilson joined him and Bucky.

"I like to call him Nomad," the Falcon said.

Ned left out another excited gasp when Sam spoke.

The fourth person joined them, "We're all a little nomadic these days," Natasha said.

This time MJ's admiration was very clear, "Wow! The Falcon and Black Widow! It's an honor. You guys really don't get enough attention for your skills!"

Sam and Natasha smiled at her and nodded their thanks.

Peter was still trying to wrap his head around all of this.

"Um… wow! This is so cool! Uh… sorry!" He pointed towards his friends, "These are my best friends, and the only ones that know my secret, Ned and MJ." Peter gave a shy smile and added, "MJ's my girlfriend, actually."

"I approve." Natasha commented. The others smiled and nodded in agreement.

Peter continued and turned to his friends, "Guys, meet Bucky, Steve, Natasha, and Sam!" His friends gave an awkward wave before Peter continued, "They saved my life and helped me make it this birthday!"

His friends smiled and stepped forward, eager to shake hands with Avengers.

Sam spoke up, "About that! Why did we have to hear about this birthday from Shuri and T'Challa? Why didn't you say something?"

Peter shrugged, "I wasn't really thinking about my birthday at the time."

They nodded in understanding.

Ned was taking out his phone and looked like he was about to attempt a selfie, "Dude! No pictures!" Peter scolded.

Ned fumbled, nearly dropping the phone from his hands.

"That's true, son," Steve said, "It's probably not a good idea. Shuri has our presence here cloaked from Tony's sensors, so any evidence of us here is dangerous."

Ned blushed, "Right… sorry… so uncool of me."

"It's not just Tony," Natasha clarified. "We can't have any other officials aware of our presence. We're technically still on the run."

Peter looked at them, "I'm sorry you have to go through this. It must have been really uncomfortable for you in here."

"Are you kidding?" Sam said. "You have no idea the places we've had to stay. This is like a 5-star hotel up in here. We're good!"

Bucky shook his head, "This is so much better than being frozen. _That_ is uncomfortable!" Steve subtly nodded his head, agreeing with Bucky.

"What these guys are saying," Natasha added, "Is that we are fine in here. We have everything we need." A sly look crossed the Black Widow's face as she made eye contact with Shuri, "…And Shuri might just be helping us to get a few supplies and things we need without Tony's knowledge. I'm trusting that you'll keep that to yourself?"

"Of course! Sure… yeah!" Peter squeaked as the Black Widow leveled him with a look. He eyed his friends who quickly nodded in agreement. They all knew not to cross Natasha Romanoff.

Bucky took another step forward and placed his one hand on Peter's shoulder, "We are here because we wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday, Peter." As he said this, he gave Peter's shoulder a gentle and friendly squeeze.

"Thanks, Bucky." Peter smiled. He shook his head a little, "A few days ago, I thought this would be the worst birthday ever! Somehow…it's turned out to be one of the best!" He couldn't actually call it the best… the last birthday before his uncle died had definitely been the best. Some part of him felt like it would be a betrayal to have this birthday replace that day.

Steve also stepped forward and placed a hand on the shoulder that Bucky's own had just vacated, "We also wanted to bring you a little something, Peter."

Peter's eyes widened, "What? You didn't have to bring me anything! You guys are risking a lot just to wish me a happy birthday in person!"

Steve smiled, "It's more practical than anything else." He reached behind him and pulled something from a bag and held it out for Peter. "This is for emergencies. We figured you should have one of your own."

Peter took a black flip phone from Steve's hand. It looked just like the one Tony had. "That has Steve's number and mine," Natasha said. "One of us should be able to reach the others to assist you if you ever need us."

"That is so cool." Ned whispered behind Peter. Once again MJ smacked his arm, indicating for him to stay quiet. Shuri just smiled and shook her head at them.

Peter smiled. "Wow! It means a lot that you trust me with this. Thank you!"

"Yeah, hey!" Sam said, "You need to be careful with that! I don't want your friend back there calling us into some school dance! Emergencies only!"

Ned looked mildly offended at first, but then gave a little embarrassed nod indicating that the thought had, perhaps, crossed his mind.

"Tony was right," Steve said, "This is an age of trust and responsibility. We're trusting you to be responsible with that."

"I promise to keep it safe," Peter said. Then he looked a little confused, "Wait! How do you know about Tony's little speech?"

This time Shuri spoke up, "Hello! I'm here! There is technology to let them see and hear what I am seeing and hearing! I wouldn't bring them all this way just to sit in this jet without knowing what is happening inside!"

"Mm Hm," Sam said, "And you best be sneaking us some of that food later… or at least the cake!"

"Uh, yeah!" Peter laughed, "I'll tell Mr. Stark to send some goody bags with T'Challa and Shuri for the long flight," he winked.

The others nodded, seeming pleased with the idea.

Peter looked at Steve seriously, "He wants to talk to you," he said, referring to Tony. "He just said that it needed to be the right time."

Steve nodded in understanding, "He's not ready, Peter." Steve looked at Bucky who was shuffling uncomfortably next to him. "I could tell in Wakanda that he wasn't there yet. I'm not here to push him. I'm here for you, and I'm here to tell you that we…" he motioned to the others, "…will be here any time you really need us. That's why you have that phone."

Peter stood up to his full height and squared his shoulders towards Steve, "I give you my word, Captain. I will keep this safe and only use it if necessary."

Steve once again gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, "Good man."

Once again, Ned spoke with amazement, "Dude…" he whispered to Peter, "You're like a real Avenger now!"

"Ned!" Peter scolded under his breath.

Everyone was amused.

Bucky smiled at Peter, "You can't call me with that thing, though. I still don't really get how those contraptions work. If you ever need me, just reach out to Shuri."

"That reminds me!" Shuri said, disappearing for a moment to grab something. She came back with something in her hand. She handed Peter a beaded bracelet.

"Jewelry? Uh… thanks… you shouldn't have," Peter said awkwardly.

"No, you doofus!" Shuri scolded, "You and Tony Stark are spending too much time together. You sound just like him! I do not make jewelry… this is functional technology! These are Kimoyo beads! Like mine!" She pressed a bead on her wrist and showed Peter the same bead on his bracelet. "Press this and you will be connected to me… it's like a 3-D Facetime! This way, you can call me if you have any questions about _real_ technology. Or… if you want me to reach out to the White Wolf over there," she said nodding in Bucky's direction. "This has other capabilities as well, but they are deactivated for the time being. We'll tell Stark that this was my gift to you."

"Awesome!" Peter said, amazed at the Kimoyo beads and their potential. "But… uh… won't he wonder why you didn't just give this to me inside?"

Shuri shrugged, "I'll tell him I wanted to show off my impressive jet to your friends!"

He smiled at her, "Yeah! That should work!"

Shuri led MJ and Ned to explore the jet a little more while Peter stayed and continued to visit with the others.

After a while, he knew he would need to get back. "We should probably get going," Peter said. "The others will be waiting for us. My aunt probably wants to take me for a ride in the new car," he added.

Steve nodded, "You go on, Peter. We're good here. Shuri will make sure we have what we need."

Peter gave him a sideways smile, "I'll see if I can find a way to see you again before you leave. It just depends if I can sneak away without Mr. Stark getting suspicious."

Steve smiled. "In case you don't…" he held out his hand.

Peter gave it a firm handshake. He held onto the captains a hand a moment and added, "Thank you, sir. For everything."

Steve knew the thank you was for saving Peter's life, for sneaking into the compound on the jet, for the phone, and for his friendship. "You're welcome…" Steve smiled at him, "…Spider-Man."

Sam threw in a "take it easy, kid!" and Natasha ruffled his hair and told him to "be careful."

Then Bucky stepped forward. He reached out his one hand to shake Peter's hand, much like Steve had. This time it was Bucky who held on to Peter's hand a little longer. "I'm glad we could help you make it to your sixteenth birthday, kid." He then looked back and nodded towards MJ and Ned. "No matter what, kid, you keep your friends close. You got some good ones there." Bucky looked towards Steve and then back to Peter, "It's your true friends who help you get through the worst times. Trust me on that." Bucky let go of Peter's hand.

"Yeah… I will. Thanks, Bucky." Peter gave the man another friendly nod before joining the others to make their way back. The phone from Steve was safely tucked into his pocket. He turned back and waved to them once more before making his final exit.

* * *

As they made their way to meet up with the others outside of the garage, Ned and MJ let Peter know that they would be staying overnight. He was excited to learn about that, and he told them that they could repeat their fun with the web shooters in the training area the next day.

Ned and MJ climbed into the back of the new car as May and Peter climbed in the front. May even let Peter drive around the compound. The others stood out in the fresh air, watching Peter navigate around in the new car with ease.

Tony made a comment about "the kid being natural" and added something about "just think about how well he'll do in a better car." The others just smiled and shook their head at his comments.

Peter pulled up and offered to let the others take turns and give them a ride. Tony declined, refusing to be driven around in the Prius until they could do some of his upgrades. Pepper, Shuri, and Happy did, however, take Peter up on his offer. Happy was thrilled to have Peter drive him around for a change and commented that he may make Peter do more of the driving in the future.

After some time, they all made their way back upstairs to have cake. While Tony had his back turned, the teenagers piled some food containers into containers they found and tucked them into some backpacks.

"Crap!" Ned said loud enough for the adults to hear. "I can't find my phone! I think I might have dropped it on the jet!"

"I'll take you back down," Shuri answered. "I'm sure we can find it."

MJ chimed in, "Peter and I will help you, too!"

They started to make their way down, but Tony stopped Peter.

"Pete, hold on!" Tony said. "Maybe you can let your friends go down. I was hoping to chat with you for a moment."

Peter froze and looked from his friends and back to Tony. "Oh… uh…"

"I'm sure Princess Shuri and Michelle can help Ned find his phone. I need to borrow you for a bit," Tony tried again.

Peter didn't want to seem too eager to go, so he agreed to let the others go. "If you guys are still having trouble, maybe I can help you look a little later." He passed his bag to MJ, "Um… maybe you can drop off my bag on your way down?" He added, trying to have a logical reason for not keeping the bag with him.

"No problem," she agreed. With that Peter's friends made their way back to the jet with the treats for the Avengers still stowed away on board.

Tony shook his head, "He didn't lose his phone, did he?"

"Uh… what?" Peter asked, mildly alarmed.

"He just wants to go back to that Wakandan Jet!" Tony scoffed, "It's not that impressive. Tomorrow, we'll show Ned and MJ a Quinjet! That's impressive!"

Peter was relieved, "Oh… yeah! I'm sure they'd like that." Peter took a breath, "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No," Tony said. He put his arm on Peter's back and led him further away from the direction in which his friends had gone. He led him to another private seating area away from the others. After they were sitting, Tony added, "I wanted to apologize, Peter."

Peter looked shocked, "What? For what, Mr. Stark? You've done so much for me!"

Tony shook his head and took a deep breath. "I've been selfish, Peter. I should have invited… _all_ of the Avenger's here to help you celebrate. I shouldn't let my personal issues get in the way of things that will make you happy."

Peter was stunned by this confession, and he felt guilty about not confessing to their presence on the Wakandan jet. They began going back and forth quickly, cutting each other off.

Peter: "No… I mean… I wouldn't have asked you do that…"

Tony: "You shouldn't have to ask…"

Peter: "… but it would have been too dangerous…"

Tony: "… I could've found a way to keep it secret for a few hours…"

Peter: "… That's a big secret. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable. That would make me uncomfortable…"

Tony: "… You would be uncomfortable if I'm uncomfortable?"

Peter: "… I'm uncomfortable right now."

Tony: "… This is a bit uncomfortable, but my apology shouldn't make you uncomfortable…"

Peter: "… but you don't need to apologize…"

Tony: "… I wanted to apologize!"

Peter: "… Ok! But can you really tell me that you would have handled it well with Bucky here in your home?"

Tony froze.

Peter froze, realizing that Tony hadn't considered Barnes part of the group.

"He's not part of the Avengers," Tony said, his tone sharp and clipped.

Peter took a breath and blew it out carefully, "Now I need to apologize. I know he wasn't…"

"… isn't!" Tony corrected.

"… Isn't part of the Avengers," Peter agreed. "It's just… if I'm honest… you're not wrong. I would have liked to have the people here that saved me. Bucky is one of those people… that's all I meant."

Tony scrubbed a hand over his face. "Why couldn't Roger's have been the one to rip that thing off your neck?"

Peter didn't answer, knowing the question wasn't really meant to be answered.

Tony continued, "I can't tell you that I would have handled having Barnes inside my home. I told you I wouldn't try to kill him on sight, but that doesn't mean I'd let him in my home!"

Peter was glad he didn't spill the fact the man was, in fact, down in the hanger on T'Challa's jet.

"You see?" Peter said. "Nothing to apologize for. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable. That, alone, would have ruined my party. What you did for me today was more than enough, Mr. Stark."

Tony shook his head, "I still need to figure this out, kid. Pepper was right. The longer I wait, the more I want to avoid Steve and Barnes." He looked at Peter, "I meant what I said yesterday, Peter. You're family now, so it can't just be about me." Tony flinched, "God, that is hard to say… feels a bit unnatural for me… I mean… I need to make things a little more about you. Today needed to be about you, and I think I could have done a better job. I'd rather do things right… because I'm rarely wrong."

Peter stared at him with an amused expression, unsure of what to say.

"What I mean is… I get that the others are important to you, especially after saving your life," Tony said. "I'm going to promise you that I will try… soon…"

Peter gave him a small smile, "You weren't ready today, Mr. Stark." His statement was simple and to the point. It wasn't a question.

Tony shrugged and nodded. "No, kid, I wasn't ready today. For that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I kept the others away." Tony really was sorry.

Peter felt bad. Little did Tony know that they weren't far, but Peter knew that telling Tony would just make the man anxious. He figured that the truth could be revealed another day. "Mr. Stark, I also told you that I see you as a father. My party was perfect because you were happy and content. It wouldn't have been good if you were anxious. You made the right call, really!" Peter insisted.

"So… you had a good 16th birthday?" Tony asked.

Peter sat back and studied the other man carefully, "How could it not be? I mean… my birthday was almost spent in that horrible prison! Or worse… it was almost 6-feet under! I'm alive and I'm home! This day was perfect!" Peter let his words sink in and then added, "Think about what you've done for me! You let my friends come here, you got T'Challa and Shuri here, you've taken care of my aunt, you helped her get a new car for us, you gave me my own space and lab here in the compound…"

Tony cut in, "I get it, kid. I'm very generous." He looked at Peter, "Is that enough?"

"It's more than enough," Peter told him. "It tells me that you care. The fact that you felt the need to even apologize means a lot! But… I want you to be ready to see the others Mr. Stark. Don't force yourself to see them before you're ready. I don't want you to have, like, a panic attack or something. That would make me feel terrible!"

"I get it," Tony said. "So, we agree that I should work on preparing myself to call Capsicle, so that you can spend some more time with my former (possibly once again) friends?"

Peter smiled, "That would be great, Mr. Stark."

"Ok… then it's settled," Tony said. "Let's go see if your friend found his phone." With that, Tony was up and walking away. "You coming?" He called back as he left and made his way to the elevator.

 _"Oh, God!"_ Peter thought. "Uh… Mr. Stark? Wait!"

 **A/N: I am anticipating about 2 more chapters. One will be a short wrap-up chapter. The final chapter will be a "flash forward" that takes place after the snap in Infinity War. It will explore what Tony does in the aftermath. I know some of you are hoping for reconciliation between Tony and Steve. However, remember that I want this story to feel like it could take place before Infinity War (except for the flash forward chapter at the end). Bear with me, I don't think you'll be disappointed in the end.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: …And I'll Cry if I Want to

 **A/N: I am so sorry to have kept you all waiting! I was hoping to finish this story before the start of last semester, but that sadly didn't happen. Fortunately, I had some time to wrap this up before my final semester starts. After some thought, I decided to jump right into the flash forward scene. (Especially after seeing the new trailer for ENDGAME!) This whole story concept was meant to explore how the relationship between Tony and Peter could have grown prior to Infinity War. I am going to write this with my original idea, so it will not look too much like what you see you in the trailer. (And if you haven't seen the trailer… go watch it!)**

TITAN: 2018 (After the Snap)

Tony sat shaking, cradling his left hand, and rocking himself back and forth. This was all too much! He couldn't comprehend any of this. It had to be a bad dream… the worst kind of nightmare. Perhaps this was all a result of previous trauma and anxiety… maybe he was imagining all of this because… HOLY SHIT this cannot be real!

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and focused on controlling his breathing. After a few deep breaths, he carefully peeled his eyes open and took in his surroundings.

F***! This was not Earth. He was still stuck on this God forsaken planet… Titan… the home of the Mad Titan himself, "F*** you, Thanos!" Tony muttered under his breath.

In his heart, Tony knew this wasn't a dream. This was reality. A terrible, twisted reality where people turned to ash and drifted away… taken by the wind.

So why in his heart did Tony know this was real? He knew because he thought his heart might burst. His heart, too, had broken into dusty ash the moment Peter was lost to the wind.

Tony was haunted by the kid's last words, and he could still feel Peter's desperate grip as he used every once of his superhero powers to keep himself from floating away into nothing, trying to use Tony as some sort of anchor that could keep him alive.

Tony brought his hands up to his ears and continued to rock himself back and forth. He wanted to force those words from his memory, _"I don't wanna go!"_ Peter had begged.

And Tony was helpless to do anything.

After the Ross catastrophe, Tony promised that he would be there to help Peter and keep him from any more harm.

Tony let out a choked cry as he rocked. He remembered thinking about how awful it was to think about how close Peter was to dying at Ross' hand. He remembered how much it hurt just to think about losing Peter. And now…

Now the loss was reality… this was real!

The Mad Titan won.

The Avengers lost.

This loss would take a great toll on all of humanity… on whoever was left.

This made Tony stop rocking. He stopped to think, _"My god, who is left?"_

For the first time he remembered that he was not alone on the desolate planet. He locked over to see the strange bluish alien woman who had joined their fight against Thanos. Her words had confirmed his fears, _"He did it,"_ she had said.

Tony hadn't needed her to clarify who _he_ was. He knew she was referring to Thanos coming out the victor. He just couldn't handle the price of the Titan's victory.

 _"Who else is left?"_ He found himself thinking again. His mind drifted back to Earth. He couldn't help but to imagine the devastation that must have taken place. The thought of the damage that would occur with people suddenly and unexpectedly disappearing was unthinkable.

The other thing that was unthinkable… or rather unbearable, was to think of just _who else_ could be gone. He silently prayed to whoever was listening that Pepper was alive. He also thought about May, Rhodey, and Happy and… he also realized that he couldn't bear to think that anything could have happened to his other friends. The friends that he had ignored for so long.

He thought about Steve, Natasha, Sam, Wanda, Clint, and even that Ant Guy he met once. Were the Wakandans able to utilize their tech in the fight? Were T'Challa and Shuri alive? Did any of them survive? And what about Thor? Did he ever even get a chance to join the fight? If Thanos won, what had happened to Vision?

These thoughts swirled through Tony's mind, and as much as he tried not to… he couldn't help but to envision them turning to ash. He felt alone… so VERY alone. Tony didn't even realize that he was sobbing now.

Suddenly a hand was on his shoulder, startling him a little. He gasped and looked up into the face of the alien… what was her name?

"We should try to get you back… to Earth. Perhaps there is someone left who can help us." She said.

"Help us?" Tony asked. He slowly pulled himself to a standing position. He wanted to stand up to her height, not wanting to feel any more vulnerable. "HELP _US?_ " Tony asked louder, incredulous. "What about _them?_ Who can help our friends that just drifted into nothingness?" Tony glared at her.

She shook her head, "You misunderstand. I meant someone who can help us find a way to… maybe… make this right. Someone to help us make Thanos pay for what he has done."

"Make him pay…" Tony reflected. "What price can be higher than this?" Tony asked, using his hand to gesture in the direction in which their friends had drifted away.

Tony looked at his hands and rubbed his fingers together. He noticed dirt on his hands and rubbed at it. He wondered if this dust and dirt was still some part of Peter… some small particles to hold onto Peter's existence.

"He shouldn't have the satisfaction of living to see what he has done. We will make him pay with his life," She said, her voice deadly serious. "I will avenge my sister," she added.

"Your sister?" Tony asked. Realizing he still didn't really know anything about this woman.

"Gamora. We weren't sisters by blood, but she was my only family." She looked at Tony seeming to study for a moment. As if reading his mind and recognizing that they were still strangers, she said, "My name is Nebula."

"Nebula? Right… I'm Tony… Tony Stark." He responded.

She nodded at him. "I'm sorry we had to meet like this, Tony Stark," she said.

Tony let out a breath, "me too."

They studied each other again.

"You're not well," Nebula stated. "You should sit. Let me help you."

"I'm fine!" Tony protested. Yet, even as he said it he could feel his legs shaking, and he reluctantly let her help him back to a seated position.

Nebula joined him, seeming to realize that he preferred keeping her at eye level. "He injured you," she spoke again. "While I can see that you used something to keep your body from losing any more blood, you are still terribly weak." She looked Tony in the eye, "Thanos knows how to bring about the worst pain." Her own mind drifted to the pain of being ripped apart.

Tony huffed, "Clearly."

The two sat quietly for a moment. Each one struggling with their own thoughts and painful memories.

"So… how do we do it?" Tony asked.

Nebula looked at him, a confused look on her face.

"Get back to Earth, I mean." He clarified.

Nebula looked thoughtful a moment. "I will see if Quill's ship is in any condition to get us back. There must be some way…"

She didn't really finish her sentence. Instead she stood up, and began looking for Quill's ship.

Tony didn't bother to follow her. He just sat for a moment before calling out to her, "I'll just wait here. Let me know when you find it… maybe I can help!"

She didn't even bother to answer. She just continued in the direction in which she last saw Quill's Benatar.

In Wakanda, the remaining Avenger's were also struggling to come to grips with the situation at hand. They had returned to Shuri's lab space. The princess managed to survive the snap, but she had been quiet since learning from Okoye about her brother's fate.

Steve was sitting against the wall, needing to feel the solid weight of it. The feeling of something solid grounded him, made him feel secure. The other's looked to him as some solid figure of strength, but this had taken a toll on him. He felt fragile. A man could not watch his friends turn to ash without feeling like, he too, could crumble into pieces. Yes… he needed to feel the solid strength of the wall… that little reminder that the whole world was not also disappearing into dust. He may have been an enhanced super solider, but Steve Rogers was still human. He had human emotion and sadness… the grief alone could break him. He felt like a complete failure. The scrawny kid in Brooklyn… that version of Steve Rogers that existed in the past… was a stronger version than the man in existence at this moment.

The room was silent. No one spoke.

Every Avenger left in the room was lost to their own thoughts. Each one trying to get a grip on this reality… this failure.

Steve took a deep breath and looked around the room. He saw the raccoon creature that had arrived with Thor, rubbing his eyes while sitting on a table. He briefly let himself be amused by that strange image for a moment before he let his eyes drift some more.

Natasha was sitting backwards on a chair, leaning on the back with her arms folded in front of her. She had her head on her arms, and her eyes were staring ahead without really looking at anything or anyone in particular.

Bruce was sitting next to Natasha, but he was sitting normally in the chair and facing in the other direction. He was pulling slightly at his hair as his hands busily rubbed around his head. Steve had a feeling he was using his hands to try and contain the thoughts and images swirling through his mind.

Rhodes was sitting at a table. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes as haunted as Natasha's. He was using his fingers to tap at the table and Steve briefly wondered if he needed to feel the solid table beneath those fingers.

Okoye was standing at the window, looking out at the devastation that lay about her country. A single tear fell down her cheek. Steve had no doubt that she was thinking about her king, feeling somehow as if she failed him.

Shuri was quietly pacing and tinkering with little things in her lab. She moved about without any real purpose. She didn't seem to have any task she wished to complete, she just didn't seem to want to be still.

M'Baku, who Steve learned to be the leader of a tribe called the Jabari, was off by himself in a corner of the room. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps pondering what roll he would now take on to help those who were left alive in Wakanda.

Thor was standing with has arms crossed, leaning on a wall opposite from Steve. Steve noticed the other man studying him, and their eyes met. The two men looked at one another, and a silent understanding passed between them. Each one was thinking about the people who were _not_ in that room. Each one was aware of those who were _missing._

Steve looked away from Thor's gaze a moment to close his eyes, fighting the image that appeared in his mind's eye. _Bucky calling his name before floating away in a cloud of dust… or ash. Just gone to the wind._

The same fate fell upon Wanda, T'Challa, Sam, Groot, and too many more.

Then there were the unknowns… they didn't know what happened to Tony or the other friends of the raccoon, called Rocket. Steve wasn't sure if the kid was alright. He knew they would need to look into the whereabouts of Peter and his aunt… if they made it. They would need to make a list and try to figure out who else survived. Clint and Scott needed to be found as well. Perhaps Nick Fury or Maria Hill could help? Steve rubbed his head. He didn't even know if any of those people were alive.

How many of them now ceased to exist?

Suddenly, Thor's voice rumbled through the room, "Stark." He said, getting everyone's attention. "I was surprised to not find him as part of the fight."

Steve took a breath and spoke for the group, "He went missing before it all started."

"He went after Thanos' men when they arrived in New York on the spaceship," Bruce clarified. "They were there to take the time stone from Dr. Strange."

The group sent confused looks in Bruce's direction.

"He's like a magical figure who also tries to protect the world and our reality… look… that's a longer story," Bruce rambled, "The point is that both Tony and the doctor went missing when that alien ship took off into space."

"I see." Thor said. "So perhaps the Man of Iron is still lost after fighting his own battle in space?"

Natasha seemed to be pulled from her thoughts and spoke up next, "What if he's still out there? Alive? Shouldn't we try to find him?"

The others looked at her, seeming uncertain.

"It would be a place to start." She clarified. "We should see who is left and regroup."

"We can't know for sure where that spaceship went after leaving New York," Steve thought out loud.

"That ship was probably on course for Titan," Rocket stated.

They all turned to look at the raccoon, some a little puzzled that the creature had spoken at all.

Rocket met the confused stares and rolled his eyes a little. He stood up to face the stupid stares, "Thanos is the Mad Titan. His people were likely to be operating from his home planet," He stated with a hint of anger and frustration. He really didn't like it when others stared at him.

"The rabbit makes a good point," Thor said next.

As Thor spoke his next words, Bruce could be heard in the background asking Natasha if Thor called the raccoon a rabbit. She shushed him in order to better hear what Thor was saying.

"I might be able to use Stormbreaker…" he saw some confused looks and clarified, "my new weapon… it can summon the Bifrost…" he saw more confused looks, "the bridge on which I traveled here with the Rabbit and Tree!" The others were only slightly less confused. Thor threw up his hands and simply said, "I can use my abilities to travel out to space to see if Stark is alive on Titan!"

The was a collection of "oh" and "uh huh" and "ok" responses from the others.

"If Tony is alive," Steve said, "Will he be able to travel on the… um… Bifrost or whatever it's called with you?"

"Of course," Thor confirmed. "As I stated before, Rabbit and Tree used the Bifrost to get to Earth with me."

"His name was _Groot_!" Rocket blurt out. Not bothering to correct Thor with his own name, only wishing to honor the memory of his friend.

Steve didn't bother to dwell on the information from the raccoon. He was still focused on Thor's mission. "Right. You use the Bifrost to look for Tony and we'll start trying to contact anyone else who may have survived. Let's plan to head back to the Avenger's compound in upstate New York. Do you want to meet us back here or in New York?" Steve asked Thor, not knowing how long it would take Thor to make the journey.

"I should be able to meet you here," Thor confirmed. "I only hope to bring Stark and the strange doctor back with me."

With that, Thor made his way outside. The others slowly got up and started making their own preparations to head back to the compound.

Back on Titan, Tony and Nebula were working together on the Benatar. The ship wasn't in the best condition, but Nebula believed that it would fly. The greatest concern was on whether or not they had enough supplies on the ship to make the journey. Neither one was too worried about that. They just wanted to get off of the horrible planet.

As they were working, they suddenly heard a sound like thunder in the distance. They noticed what looked like some sort of rainbow surrounded by lightning a few miles away.

"What the hell?" Tony wondered aloud.

"Perhaps we should be on the move," Nebula stated.

The two quickly finished what they were working on and boarded the ship, closing the ramp behind them. Nebula and Tony made their way to the seats in which were usually occupied by Quill and Rocket. Nebula began flipping switches and preparing the ship to take off.

"What do I do?" Tony asked, hoping for some direction on how to operate the alien craft.

As the Benatar roared to life, Nebula didn't get to answer his question before there was beeping on a screen in front of them.

"Something is coming," Nebula said, frantically flipping more switches and preparing to get them in the air. "It's coming fast! I need you to operate the weapons in case we're attacked."

"What?! Where?" Tony cried, feeling helpless with the unfamiliar tech in front of him.

"Just…" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Something landed on the ground in front of the Benatar, surrounded by lightning. The figure within the lightning had eyes that glowed with electricity.

Tony stared at the figure for a moment. There was something familiar about the guy.

"Pointbreak?" Tony questioned out loud. His eyes widened as the eyes of the figure outside lost the eerie glow and the god of Thunder could be recognized. "Power this thing down! We don't need weapons! He's a friend!" Tony said with excitement.

Nebula quickly ceased her actions of preparing for takeoff and instead opened the ramp that would allow this newest figure to board with them. As Thor made his way onto the Benatar, Tony and Nebula stood and made their way to greet him.

"At least this craft did not fly into me again," he stated as he entered.

Nebula and Tony shared a confused look between them before looking back at Thor.

Thor approached Tony and, none too gently for the beast of a man, grasped his shoulders with both hands and held him in front of himself to get a better look.

Tony stifled a groan as Thor examined him.

"Stark!" Thor boomed. "Thank the gods you are alive!"

"Thor…" Tony whined, "Do you think you could loosen your grip. The battle up here wasn't easy on this mortal body of mine."

Thor quickly released his friend, "Of course, Man of Iron… I apologize. I just needed to feel for myself that you were real." Thor paused, "We have lost too many to Thanos' plot against the universe."

"So… you know about that, huh?" Tony asked, gently shrugging his shoulders to get the circulation moving through them once again.

"Of course, I learned more of his plot on this very ship from the other morons before I went to Nidavellir in search of a weapon to destroy Thanos and stop him once and for all," Thor explained.

Tony just blinked at Thor trying to process his casual reference to the morons he had apparently met, assuming he was referring to Quill and his other friends.

"But alas…" Thor continued, "Thanos survived my attack and completed his mission…" Thor lowered his gaze as he spoke the last words.

Tony shook his head. "Where were you?"

Thor looked up at him, ready to defend his role in the fight.

Tony clarified, "No… I mean… where did you go after Thanos? He must have made it to Earth, right? If he completed his mission, then he got all of the stones. Do you know what happened to Vision?"

Thor seemed to understand what Tony was really asking. "There was a great battle on Earth. We tried to protect the stone and keep it from Thanos." Thor was quiet a moment. "The Scarlett Witch had destroyed the stone at Vision's request, but Thanos used the time stone to restore it…" Thor fumbled a bit before finishing, "… he… Thanos ripped the Stone from Vision's head. I stabbed him with my axe, but he survived long enough to complete the snap, and then… he just disappeared." Thor studied Tony's face as he finished.

"Into ash?!" Tony asked hopefully. "Please tell me that bastard's plan back-fired and he destroyed himself!"

"No…" Thor answered. "While there were many who disappeared into dust, Thanos used the gauntlet to vanish… we know not where… not yet." Thor thought a moment and looked around. "If you know how the others were disappearing as a result of Thanos' actions…" Again Thor studied the ship, "The morons? The strange doctor?"

Nebula spoke up, clearly annoyed, "The occupants of this ship are gone! Turned into ash by Thanos' hand. I would appreciate it if you stopped dishonoring their memory by using that term!"

Thor looked a little taken aback and confused. Tony noticed that he didn't seem to understand that his words were an insult.

"Quill and his crew are gone," Tony stated in confirmation to Thor's suspicions. "So are Dr. Strange and… the kid… my kid," he choked out.

Thor looked more confused. "Banner mentioned that you went missing after coming into space with the strange doctor, but I was unaware that you were a father… you say your child was here and lost?"

"No… I mean… yes, the kid… he's gone." Tony took a steadying breath. "We have some catching up to do, don't we? Pete… he wasn't my kid by blood, but I looked after him…" Tony looked away for a moment. He turned back to Thor, "I tried to look after him… I let him down."

Thor studied Tony for a moment and he recognized the grief of loosing family. He knew all too well that family didn't have to be blood.

"I see… we certainly have much to discuss. Much of which we can do back on Earth." Thor glanced at the desolate surroundings indicating that he was ready to leave this place. "I can get you back using Stormbreaker…" Thor held up his weapon indicating that he was referring to it. "…It will summon the Bifrost so that we can go back to Earth." Ignoring the confused looks, Thor turned to Nebula, "Will you be joining us? Perhaps you can help to inform the rabbit about the loss of the mor… I mean the others who once occupied this vessel?"

Nebula, if possible, was even more confused. "The rabbit? I don't know a rabbit." She looked thoughtful before recognition dawned on her face, "Do you mean Rocket? He's alive?"

Thor beamed, happy to be somewhat understood, "Yes! The rabbit! I'm sure the captain would like to know about what became of his crew!"

"She's coming with us!" Tony spoke up, cutting off Nebula from asking further questions. "We can clear things up once we're back on Earth. I think there's definitely some unanswered questions, but I would like to get out of here!"

"Of course," Thor confirmed. "Stand behind me and hold on to my shoulders… and perhaps to each other."

Nebula and Thor shared a look, but followed the god of Thunder's directions, each too tired to ask more questions.

Once in place, Thor thrust the axe into the air where the three were whisked away on a colorful bridge surrounded by Thor's lightning and thunder.

Back in Wakanda, Steve and the others were preparing a jet to take them back to New York.

"You're sure you won't come with us?" Natasha asked Okoye.

Okoye looked over towards Shuri and M'Baku who were offering assistance to other Wakandans trying to come to grips with the aftermath.

"We are needed here," Okoye explained. "Without our king…" Okoye looked down, "The people need us… they need leadership… and hope. We cannot give them that if we leave."

Natasha nodded her understanding. "We know how to reach you…" she held up her wrist with the kimoyo beads. "…we'll keep you informed." Natasha held her hand out and the other woman grasped it in a friendly embrace.

No more needed to be said. Plus, they were interrupted by a colorful beam of light that crashed down from the sky.

The others gathered to see who, if anyone, was traveling back with their friend. Two silhouettes could be seen alongside the god of Thunder.

Steve came to stand with Natasha, Rhodes and Bruce not far behind. Rocket was making his way down the ramp to get a better look as well.

Steve's eyes lit up at seeing one person in particular with Thor.

"Tony!" He called, making his way to his old friend. Steve didn't miss how Tony swayed alongside of Thor. The man was clearly showing signs of injury, and Steve rushed to meet the other man quickly.

Tony had never been so happy to feel solid earth… his Earth… beneath his feet. He looked up at the sound of someone calling his name. Steve was coming quickly to his aid.

Steve grasped Tony's shoulders, his grip gentler than Thor's had been just a short time before.

"Tony?" Steve inquired, "You hurt?"

"Oh hey, Capsicle," Tony quipped. "Just my pride… it stings the ego a bit when your own weapon is used to pierce your side."

Steve quickly looked down to the side that Tony was favoring a bit.

"Don't worry, I used some of my tech to stop the bleeding. I'll live long enough for you to annoy me some more," Tony explained.

Steve looked crestfallen, "Tony…"

"I know, Steve," the other man said, avoiding any of the nicknames he used to tease the man. "I'm sorry, too."

Steve and Tony looked one another in the eye. A silent conversation passing between them.

"It's damn good to see you, Cap." Tony added, bringing his hand up to pat the other man on the shoulder.

"Are you two done?" Shuri interrupted, having left her task to welcome back the god of Thunder. "I'd like to take a look at Mr. Stark before you are all on your way."

"On our way? Where am I going? I just followed the rainbow express back to Earth. I'm not sure I'm up for any more travel today," Tony stated.

"We were planning to reconvene at the compound. We want to figure out who... is left," Steve explained as Shuri began to lead Tony to where she could take a look at him. As they walked, Steve added, "We still don't know about Scott, Clint, or… well… Peter."

Tony stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Steve. "You don't know?" Tony asked, looking lost. He glanced back at Bruce, realizing the man may not have seen Spider-Man enter the fight and follow Strange onto the ship.

"Know what?" Steve asked.

"The kid… Pete was with me. He joined the fight when he saw the spacecraft in New York. He followed when the aliens captured Dr. Strange. I tried to send him away, but he followed me. We all tried to take out Thanos on Titan." Tony's eyes were focused on the memory. The others had a sinking feeling about where this story was going.

"We damn near succeeded, too. It was Pete who had almost pulled the gauntlet off of Thanos' hand," Tony choked on his words and fell silent a moment. He wanted to be angry with Quill, but he recognized that the man had been blind with grief. He looked over towards Nebula and… what appeared to be a _raccoon?_ The woman had her hand on the creature's shoulder, likely breaking the news that their friends were all gone. Tony ignored that odd reunion and turned his attention back to his other friends.

"Tony… are you saying…" Steve couldn't finish the question.

Rhodes, Bruce, Thor, and Natasha stood nearby, listening intently.

"The woman, Nebula, and I are the only ones who survived. The others were lost when Thanos got the final stone," Tony said, confirming their worst fears.

"No…" Natasha breathed out.

"Jeez…" Rhodes whispered. "He was only a kid. He was barely 16."

Bruce looked at Natasha. "The kid? Was he Spider-Man or Ant Man?" he whispered to her.

"We have ants and spiders as part of the team now?" Thor asked confused, glancing over at Rocket. "Like the rabbit?" he asked nodding back at the raccoon he mistook for the aforementioned animal.

"What?" Natasha glared at Thor. "Of course not! He moved like a spider. He was… amazing." Bruce could see the spy fighting tears, a rare sight to see. "He was a good kid."

Thor and Bruce exchanged a look, sad to have missed the opportunity to meet the young man for which the others visibly mourned.

Tony looked around at the others, recognizing and understanding their grief-filled reactions. It was also that moment when he realized who else was missing.

"Sam and Wanda?" Tony asked.

The others shook their heads sadly.

"My brother and the White Wolf were lost as well," Shuri added.

"Oh god…" Tony breathed out heavily. He looked at Steve. "The White Wolf? That was…"

Steve finished the sentence, "Bucky. He was among the first to disappear."

Tony thought he should have felt relieved. Strangely the loss of Barnes just added to the weight of guilt on Tony's heart. Too many people had lost their loved ones. This was a fight they couldn't afford to lose, but they had lost.

"Shit!" Tony cursed. He looked at Steve, "The price of this loss is too damn high."

Steve nodded at Tony. Again, a silent understanding passed between the two men.

"I'm afraid the price will grow higher still…" Thor added.

The group again turned to walk inside where Shuri would prepare Tony for the flight ahead.

A while later, the group was on a jet returning to upstate New York. Tony was tired. He looked around at his friends, each struggling with their own grief.

"I'm so sorry. I owe you all an apology." Tony spoke up, getting the attention of the others.

"What do you mean, Tony?" Bruce asked.

"You weren't here, you didn't see how I behaved. I never should have let the Accords… or my own past… drive a wedge between us." Tony shook his head. "This is a fight that we should have fought together."

Tony dropped his head into hands as he sat. He was just so tired and so overwhelmed with grief. He just hoped that he could find Pepper in good health when they returned to New York. She was the only one who could make him feel any better now.

Tony felt the presence of someone kneeling in front of him. He looked up to see Steve there.

"I was at fault, too. Don't think you get to take all the blame. Some of that blame belongs with me. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you." As Steve spoke, he brought a hand to Tony's shoulder. Trying desperately to bring the man comfort and show some gesture of peace.

Natasha spoke up, "We all took sides."

Tony nodded at her, knowing that she was trying to let the two men know that they all had made mistakes.

"We need to avenge them," Tony said looking at Steve. "We need to avenge _ALL_ of them," Tony emphasized the word "all" so that Steve would understand that they would be avenging Bucky just as much as anyone else.

Steve gave his friend a small, sad smile. One that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The captain stood up and looked at the Avengers that remained, as well as the two new honorary members of Nebula and Rocket. His voice was firm and sure. He used the voice a commanding officer addressing his troops with his next words.

"We avenge them together. As a team, we will make Thanos pay for each and every life he stole away," Steve stated.

His teammates stood. A silent agreement passing from one to the other. As they stood together, the Avengers Compound appeared outside the window of the jet.

And as they began their descent, the Avengers were planning to rise up against evil once again.

*Cue the Alan Silvestri music*


End file.
